


With the Storm

by YouMinLi



Series: We are Gods [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (but like very little and like it's not even properly jealous jealousy), Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff, Gods, I didn't mean to write this much, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Storms, Strangers to Lovers, Summer, This is really cute and fluffy I swear, aesthetic, like really really light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-05-15 20:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19302820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouMinLi/pseuds/YouMinLi
Summary: It's during a storm that Jongdae notices a man, standing there. And it's during all the other moments in the summer that he slowly falls in love.





	1. Enter stage rain

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt Petal:** #122
> 
>  **Author's Note:** This didn't go how I thought it would. I also honestly have no clue how I ended up here, like I recently looked at the prompt again and I was like hmmm, what. So I apologize to the prompter if this wasn't what you had in mind, it's my first fest and I have like .05 brain cells. 
> 
> Thank you to my [beta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/extensive_scribe) for salvaging whatever was left of the plot and story and helping me fix it into something reasonable. I don't know how I could live without you.
> 
> And finally thank you to Mod Honeybee for being literally the nicest person I now know. Sorry for the trouble I caused.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like when you see someone so good-looking that your brain kinda short-circuits but Jongdae does that with a storm.

Jongdae forces the corner of his lips to drag downwards in a way that is a bit too exaggerated, but it’s better than letting out the smile that Baekhyun is waiting for, a vicious sort of grin on his face that is the victory lap before the results had been declared. The smile that threatens to burst out on Jongdae’s face is something more akin to annoyance than happiness, or maybe it’s just a complicated mixture of both, but Jongdae refuses to let Baekhyun have this victory after nearly being crushed alive by some fake rain clouds.

 

Baekhyun’s skipping backwards, doing the smart thing by putting as much space between them before Jongdae is done suppressing the smile and can focus his energy on more productive tasks. Junmyeon huffs a sigh next to Jongdae, and if he had a way to tell the time, he would probably use it to show the duo how much time they were wasting.

  
Baekhyun sticks his tongue out as he closes his eyes in a mockery, apparently without a single fear about the obstacles in his path, and Jongdae imagines him tripping over a conveniently placed tree branch, and getting exactly what he deserves for being cocky.

  
“Ha! You laughed!”

 

“I didn’t!” Jongdae protests, despite the wide grin already taking over his face with the dam broken. 

  
“I win!” Baekhyun whoops it up, doing a spin in the air that he definitely wouldn’t have been able to do if he wasn’t the immortal jerk that he is, and Jongdae starts forwards, lighting already crackling along his fingertips.

 

“Get back here and I’ll show you who’s the winner!” Jongdae sprints forwards, Baekhyun’s cackling echoing across the field into his ears as the man himself turns and starts running, glancing back oh so often to look at Jongdae and laugh at him.

  
“Hey! I’m going to start soon and then you can just take over on your own!” Jongdae doesn’t bother shouting back an affirmative to Junmyeon because Junmyeon’s just going to start and then throw it all to him anyways, sneaking off to who knows where under the cover of the storm he created. Besides, there’s more pressing issues right now, such as being able to catch Baekhyun, this infamous asshole.

 

The sky’s bright, so unreasonably bright due to Baekhyun just being too happy and emotions not completely under his control as he tries to escape the newest creative way Jongdae wants him to pay this time. Jongdae’s not exactly in the best condition himself, feeling the energy bubbling up around him, about to burst out at any moment. It doesn’t help that the more he runs, the more energy builds up and Jongdae feels like he has the whole world at his fingertips, if only he wants to reach forwards and grab it.

 

Baekhyun’s literally close enough for Jongdae to reach, if only he would just stretch out slightly, then he could probably brush his fingers against the flowing cloth of Baekhyun’s tunic and yank him backwards. But instead of doing that, Baekhyun has a rare non-deadly idea and unleashes all his pent up energy in one spectacular burst, creating a false lightning bolt in Jongdae’s place and for just long enough that Jongdae stumbles, blinded, and loses his grasp on Baekhyun.

 

“You bastard!” Jongdae shouts into the sky, slowly stumbling to a stop as he reaches where Baekhyun was seconds ago. The sky answers back with a distinct cackle, and Jongdae shakes his fist up at the sky. Then Baekhyun draws back slightly, but the sky is still so bright, too bright, Baekhyun not yet in full control of his emotions to rein them in and darken it up.

Jongdae feels it a second before he starts, and though he still has to go grab Baekhyun, his lips lift higher into a wider smile when he gets that slight whiff of just what is about to come, and he holds his arms out to the sky, imploring for it to start.

It’s the slight shockwave coursing through the air of Junmyeon releasing all the pent-up energy, hitting him seconds before anyone else, a gentle tickle of what’s to come, and then the heavens split open and Jongdae laughs. It’s always his favourite part, the summer storm before it’s under his control, hitting everything at once and seeming to be an unstoppable and desperately wild force. It’s at times like this when he truly appreciates Junmyeon and the power he holds, because if Jongdae was able to just unleash all this energy at once, there would be no way for him to do it non-fatally.

Jongdae stands in the rain, drinking in the power as he gets drenched. He has just enough time to laugh, splash around a bit, just enjoy everything before he takes the reins and controls the storm. And then, right enough, is the shift of power, all crashing onto his shoulders like the water falling, and Jongdae soaks it in.

 

Junmyeon always only passes the baton after he has gotten it stabilised, no longer the mess of energy that it started with, but a gentle pounding that is uniform no matter how much it doesn’t seem so. Jongdae wishes sometimes that Junmyeon would just let him have the whole thing, the messy parts along with the neat, but no matter how much he wants to sneak away to where no one could find him, his trust of Jongdae seems to be lesser. Jongdae doesn’t even understand why it has to be sneaking away. None of them are going to particularly care what he’s doing, granted that it’s not genocide or altering the path of life, but it’s Junmyeon. He’s not doing any of that.

  
But regardless of Junmyeon, this storm is now Jongdae’s, and he feels the energy he holds, and gets ready to start unleashing it, to guide the storm wherever he would want it to go.

  
Lighting strikes right next to him, and Jongdae tastes the energy, the power he is able to release, and then the bolt of thunder, loud enough to deafen. Jongdae calms down a little, it’s all his, and though Junmyeon doesn’t like it when he plays for too long, he’s going to pull as much as he can, and relish in the first rain of the season.

  
The mortals always like to call it the turn of the season as soon as the temperature soars, as soon as Chanyeol gets too happy with all the life springing up and Baekhyun starts meeting him to dance then rest at night. What do mortals know? Summer doesn't start until the first storm of the season, the first time Jongdae can fully just let go of control, and watch the heavens break.

  
Jongdae pulls back for another burst of lightning, maybe aim for a short tree to test his control and aim, but then there’s a patch of white that appears in the corner of his eye and Jongdae accidentally lets go and it goes far off from the tree. And even though the pressure built up for the clap of thunder is reducing every single second Jongdae just stands there, he somehow can’t bring himself to feel anything about the storm slowly fading.

  
The white is so startling in the middle of a field of green, like it’s a frozen moment of unbroken perfection, flawless among the lovely and living plants of Jongdae’s season. Then the man enshrouded by the white robes moves slightly, lifting his face up to the sky, and Jongdae feels a bit like that time someone stabbed him.

  
It doesn’t feel like he’s mortal, yet there’s the way he gazes so reverently at the sky, with the rain Jongdae controls soaking into him so that he looks like only a vaguely humanoid block of white. White doesn’t stay that white, especially wet and against skin, but no one immortal with the ability to shield themselves from the rain would willingly get wet.

  
His face is about as flawless as his robes, and the way water runs over his eyes, his cheeks, flowing like a waterfall over a cliff, reminds Jongdae of one of those tragic statues carved by the best sculptors that ever lived. At the same time, Jongdae is struck by the thought that no piece of art, no form of expression would ever be able to capture him in all his full form, and it’s such a shame that the world would never be able to experience him like Jongdae does right now and all his beauty.

  
There’s no way he’s mortal. But if he isn’t mortal, who could he be?

 

Then he looks down from the sky, across the hundreds of meters of grassy field and rain drops, and stares straight into Jongdae’s eyes. Maybe it’s the rain, but Jongdae doesn’t think he could tell anyone the accurate colour of his eyes, or anything besides the fact that they were swirling like a little whirlpool, if eyes could even swirl in the first place.

 

Dimly, Jongdae registers the fact that the rain is dying down, everything scattering without someone to properly control it and bring it all down to the earth instead of wildly spreading. But it all pales in comparison to the fact that Jongdae’s never seen eyes, or just anyone in general so vibrant, yet so colourless.

 

Then he blinks, and the whole moment comes crashing down, the pounding of rain hitting the ground hitting Jongdae’s ears like a chorus. The temperature suddenly shifts, barely lowering a full degree, but regardless, Jongdae shivers and a surprised look of almost fear flashes over the man’s face, and then he’s turning away and running.

 

“Wait!” Jongdae stumbles two steps in faltering run after the man, but what was he going to do? Ask his name? Tell him that he looks amazing? He’s still a god, and whoever that was clearly didn’t want Jongdae to follow, especially since he disappeared as soon as he entered the treeline, blending in effortly with the much darker browns and shadows of the forest. Jongdae never knew that white could hide so easily, but he doesn’t even have a chance to properly start following before his logic catches up to him, and he’s left standing in the gentle shower now dusting onto him, words unspoken on his lips and motions incomplete.

 

The sun then threatens to blind Jongdae, piercing through his skin in a way that sends the phantom chills back up his spine, as if Jongdae was suddenly caught in the middle of a terrible act. Right. Even if he wants to go after the man, he still has a duty. The first rainstorm of the season is no longer a rainstorm, and even if Jongdae suddenly lost all semblance of the necessary energy he needs to drive the storm properly with the appearance of the man, he still has a job to do.

 

Jongdae tries to clear his mind, but even long after he can’t fully picture the man’s face, his eyes float up in the bubbling swirl of white in his mind. And even as he drains energy that he doesn’t have in order to pull the rain back into a storm, Jongdae wonders exactly who he is, and how he fares. Would he still be looking at the sky, embracing and awaiting the drops coming down? Or did he seek shelter from the intruding drops, like everyone else does?

 

Even when he finally draws the rain to a satisfying conclusion and Junmyeon appears again, blissfully unaware of how Jongdae had nearly cut him off, his mind’s still a mess that leaves him thinking about nothing besides the man.

 


	2. Time to Dye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AesThEtic (ignore the bickering in the back).

The next time Jongdae sees the man in white is a lot sooner than he thought, but also a lot slower than he expected.

 

It’s a week later and Jongdae’s basking in the sun next to a few nicely placed berry bushes, transferring the berries off the bush and into his mouth, smearing the sweet kiss of summer fruit over his lips. The next berry he tosses into the air never makes it into his mouth, and Jongdae opens his eyes to see Chanyeol hovering over him, chewing the sweet he stole from Jongdae with a gleeful grin on his face.

 

“The bush is right there, stop stealing my things.” Jongdae waves one hand lazily at the bush, half void of berries already, and Chanyeol grins, a lazy heat ray gently blanketing him. Jongdae wants to close his eyes again and just let Chanyeol keep him cozy with the little beams of heat he sends out with every single shift in emotion. It’s not so hot that being around Chanyeol is unbearable yet, and Jongdae have wasted away more days doing lesser things than this.

 

Instead, Chanyeol grabs the hand already afloat in the air and his grin shifts to something a bit more sinister, too reminiscent of another too-bright friend of his.

 

“It’s so much more fun when I do though.”

 

Jongdae huffs a glare, and Chanyeol only brightens up further, fully contrasting the pout on Jongdae’s lips.

 

“Come on and get up. Stop lazing around and let’s go.”

 

“Go where?” Jongdae props himself up on his elbows, conceding a bit of ground to see Chanyeol without the halo the sun casts around him.

 

Chanyeol, however, doesn’t have the perspective to also be blinded by the ring of light that always lightens his hair and makes his eyes shine a bit brighter than it usually is, and just takes it as a victory. Curse Baekhyun for everything he does.

 

“To visit Soo! I don’t want to go alone, and he’s probably bored and wants to see you.”

 

It has been awhile since the last time he saw Kyungsoo, and without thinking too much about it, Jongdae plops backwards to reach both hands up towards Chanyeol. The light shimmers a bit more translucently as Chanyeol pulls him out of his thoughts and into the brilliant summer day.

 

Jongdae gets up with a hop that nearly sends him flying, especially with Chanyeol’s momentum pulling him up, and lands awkwardly on a small pile of stones Jongin had nicely stacked many, many summers ago. It’s a precarious tower about waist height off the ground, and immediately after Jongdae creates this disturbance, both it and Jongdae come crashing down towards Chanyeol, with his hands still secure around Jongdae’s.

 

“Ouch!” Chanyeol gets buried under rocks and a body, and Jongdae scowls from his place knocked into Chanyeol’s decently hard jaw.

 

“Next time, don’t just put us right in front of Kyungsoo’s garden. Look what you just did to Nini’s tower.”

 

“Me? You were the one who jumped on it!” Chanyeol inadvertently kicks Jongdae’s shin while trying to extract his leg from the rock pile, and Jongdae thinks back to the peace of a few moments ago when he was able to just eat and soak in the sun.

 

“But _you’re_ the one who put us-“

 

“Excuse me.”

 

“At this spot… Oh, hi Kyungsoo.” There’s a slight pause where Jongdae tries to tackle on the most innocent smile he can muster up, knowing fully that there’s no way that Kyungsoo hasn’t already caught full evidence of their guilt. With the seconds that pass by, Jongdae fully determines the best way to escape, how screwed Chanyeol is, and how to apologise in three years. Then Kyungsoo breaks the standstill staring with a sigh, and Jongdae scrambles for the hills. Chanyeol could deal with this on his own, no one wants to stay around when Kyungsoo’s mad.

 

He trips over a tree root that was not there seconds ago, and surrenders pretty quickly after that.

 

“What are you two doing? Jongin’s going to be devastated.” Kyungsoo has his sleeves rolled up and a stern look as he scolds the duo, and in unison they bow lower in apology.

 

“We just wanted to see you Soo!” Chanyeol smiles, and Kyungsoo takes two steps away from the miniature heat wave suddenly radiating from him.

 

“You’re not as mad as I thought you would be.” Jongdae laughs as he receives a hit on the arm for his comment, and Kyungsoo’s expression shifts into something a bit more annoyed and a bit less angry.

 

“It was ruining the whole garden. He should’ve placed it in the corner away from my lavender.” With a blink, the previously suffering lavender plants suddenly gain intensity and colour, metaphorically unfurling their leaves to drink in the sun that they had been deprived of for so long. A small satisfied smile crosses Kyungsoo’s face as he looks at the plants no longer blocked by the stones.

 

“Well, now he can put them in the corner?” Kyungsoo looks like he wants to hit Jongdae again but refrains, adopting a better neutral look.

 

“You’re both going to have to apologise to him. And what exactly are you doing here?”

 

“We just wanted to visit you, Soo.” Chanyeol, though with many talents and good qualities, lacks subtlety like a diplomat stabbing the king does. Even when he’s saying that they’re just there to visit, he’s jerking his head at Jongdae with eyes wide and an implication that makes something shift inside, a buzz that isn’t quite friendly. The way Kyungsoo’s eyes soften is almost worse than Chanyeol all obvious and loud. He knew something was up when Chanyeol didn’t visit Kyungsoo alone, what were they keeping from him with such a pitying look?

 

“Fine. I’m about to start dying cloth so you might as well make yourself helpful.” Kyungsoo turns around before Jongdae can say anything to either of them, and Chanyeol follows with a satisfied grin on his face.

 

Jongdae’s only been in Kyungsoo’s home a handful of times, which is a wonder considering that he was one of the few of them with another place that he regularly stays in, a small patch of land where mortals will never bother him. It’s just as Jongdae remembers, all neat and comfortable, yet surprising busy and active. There are plants everywhere, curling up around any place they could reach, sometimes stemming not even from little opening of soil, but the house itself, providing a fresh and clean scent of nothing but everything at the same time. Where Kyungsoo’s dinner table used to be is a huge pot of water, nearly full and singing of calmness. The table is pushed messily to the side, and there’s pots and plates and dishes all with white, clean fabrics, neatly folded within.

 

“Want me to heat the water for you?” Chanyeol heads immediately for the metal basin, and Kyungsoo scoffs, nodding as if it was obvious.

 

“What else would you be here to do?” Kyungsoo picks up an overcoat in that same pure white off the table, and Jongdae feels a slight pang of regret and curiosity from the storm a week ago.

 

“You're doing it the mortal way? Doesn’t that take a long time?” Jongdae fingers the thin threads in Kyungsoo’s other bowl, watching as Chanyeol situates himself next to the metal tub and starts channeling heat into the water. The threads slipping gently from Jongdae’s fingers follows the rippling effect of the water in the pan, getting disturbed with the heat propelling them all around.

 

“I like it.” Kyungsoo answers simply, and seconds later, a small cup of tea bumps against Jongdae’s hand, distracting him from the delicate silks ready to be coloured.

 

“Thanks.” Kyungsoo nods in acknowledgement as a Jongdae slips his hand out of the bowl and wraps them both around the small cup, taking in the smell. Like everything else in the house, the smell of the tea is everything and nothing, and yet Jongdae tastes a hint of mint, cold but so hot.

 

Kyungsoo pours another cup for himself, and Jongdae watches as the steam pouring out from the little kettle whirls around in the air, twisting tighter and tighter until it looks like a selection of words, maybe a checklist. Dye clothes. Get Min- and then the smoke pops off into nothingness, removing the words from view.

 

“Hey, don’t I get a cup of tea too?” Chanyeol frowns from his spot next to the tub, both palms pressed firmly to the metal, wisps of steam already escaping from the barely moving water.

 

“Finish your work first.” Kyungsoo turns away, ignoring the way Chanyeol whines behind him. Jongdae watches as Kyungsoo puts the full cup down and picks up another anyways, pouring out Chanyeol’s share.

 

Somewhere between the gentle breathing of the water as it warms and the shuffling of Kyungsoo finding ingredients, Jongdae hears the prickling of another sound, unnatural. It walks itself to Kyungsoo’s front door, going slow with the unmistakable tread of well-worn boots, stepping carefully. Who could it be? It doesn’t sound like anyone that Jongdae knows, and he had spent a long time figuring the footsteps of everyone around him.

 

“Want me to get some more- Oh, Chanyeol.” It’s him.

 

Jongdae feels his grasp on the little teacup loosen and hears the thud that is Chanyeol falling onto the floor in surprise, but he doesn’t register anything at the same time. Standing right in front of him, barely twenty paces away, is the man in white.

 

How long had Jongdae spent trying to convince Sehun and Jongin to help him find this man, flying and traveling in the free way they do for a good five days, keeping an eye open, hoping that he would be around? How long had he wondered what he would say, what he would ask him, how he would find him? How long had Jongdae spent thinking about this man, but here he is, standing here like he didn’t completely upheave Jongdae’s life by existing?

 

He’s not even wearing white.

 

He’s actually wearing what looks like clothes borrowed from Kyungsoo, light browns and earth colours that disguise the dirt that accumulates whenever Kyungsoo is working. Jongdae swears that he’s seen Kyungsoo in them thousands and thousands of times before, sleeves missing as to not have to roll them up, two thin layers to keep cool, but on him, they look like the backdrop to a painting of life, potential endless for growth and change. He’s also holding a bucket full of water that must be from the spring nearby, big enough to refill the metal tub twice over, and seems so elegantly beautiful with the way that his hair is tied up, the better for him to be able to work.

 

“Minseok? What are you doing here?” Chanyeol’s radiating such shocked little heat waves from where he’s seated on the floor that the water is starting to boil and Jongdae feels slightly suffocated, but it gets quickly pushed away to the corner within his mind.

 

Minseok. His name is Minseok. Jongdae rolls the word over in his mind a few times, looking at it from every perspective.

 

Minseok puts the huge bucket down and blinks, stepping away from the furnace that is Chanyeol. His eyes dart towards Kyungsoo for the briefest of seconds, as if looking for help, a little backup.

 

“We can talk about this later, finish heating up the water and stop making the house feel like a fireplace.” Kyungsoo taps Chanyeol over the head with a cup of tea, then turns to hand it straight to Minseok with a calm expression while Chanyeol sits, clasping one hand to his terrible wound. Then he turns to Jongdae, and for a little uncanny second, Jongdae feels as if Kyungsoo could see into his mind, piercing through every single thought and question he’s ever had about Minseok. Then, like the heat rising up into the air, the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes evaporates and gets replaced by an annoyed one.

 

“Stop gawking at Minseok and clean up the cup you just dropped. These things don’t come from nowhere, you can’t go around breaking them.” A broom floats itself over to Jongdae and he unconsciously takes it, wrapping his hands around the wood without feeling it. When he looks up at Minseok again, he’s gone, disappeared without a trace like last time. Jongdae bites back the sigh and starts sweeping again.

 

“I don’t think we’ve met before.” Jongdae nearly teleports himself to the nearest planet when he hears the quiet voice coming from next to his ear, and he whips his head over to see Minseok standing there, quietly, calmly. It takes a few seconds for his heart to recover from trying to teleport away though, and he nearly misses Minseok’s next words in an attempt to calm down.

 

“I’m Minseok, the god of Frost.” He gives a Jongdae a little bow and Jongdae nearly drops his broom in an attempt to retaliate.

 

“I’m Jongdae, the god of Thunderstorms.”

 

Minseok hums a little, as if satisfied with the introduction. Jongdae stands there dumbly for a little more, then he instantly realises two things at once.

 

One, Minseok is shorter than him. About Kyungsoo’s height actually, which is ridiculous considering Jongdae felt like he was more like Yixing or Jongin’s height from seeing him across the field.

 

Two, he’s the final one of the 9. But the god of _Frost_?

 

“Stop being modest and just say you’re the god of Winter. We all know you are.” Chanyeol calls from his time out corner next to the pot, and Kyungsoo hits him on the head once at Minseok’s beckon.

 

“Wait, you’re the god of Frost? But, ah-“

 

“But it’s summer?

 

“Yeah.”

 

Minseok nods. “I’m not supposed to be awake right now, which is why we’ve never met. Summer’s actually quite nice, no wonder Chanyeol and Baekhyun are always easier to manage.”

 

The light around Chanyeol blinks affrontedly, as if Baekhyun was protesting this assertion. Chanyeol, however, doesn’t react to the little jab, his expression staying concerned and confused.

 

“Does Junmyeon know?” Chanyeol asks, and the light around him quiets down a little, Baekhyun wanting to hear the answer.

 

“No. And if you three have enough time to talk, then get to work. We can discuss the consequences of this mess after Chanyeol stops trying to boil away all my water.” Kyungsoo snaps a little, holding a small basket of blue flowers and an extremely large stick. Jongdae wasn’t going to protest this, and he immediately put the broom to the floor and started sweeping again. Kyungsoo was probably a bit upset because of the heat, better to not prolong it.

 

When Chanyeol finally deems the water hot enough and Jongdae has enough of the little shards together to repatch the cup together, Kyungsoo starts dropping in the blue flowers, and they watch with quiet anticipation as the blue dye starts to bloom in the water.

 

“Why are you dyeing stuff anyways? Couldn’t you have waited until it was cooler?” Kyungsoo shoots an annoyed look in their general direction at Jongdae’s question. Chanyeol breaks the uncomfortable stare-off by reaching an arm in front of Jongdae’s face to accept the cup Minseok poured for him, and Kyungsoo sighs and redirects his annoyance.

 

“Well, someone,” Minseok shifts slightly and smiles, “doesn’t have any colour in his wardrobe and wanted something blue.”

 

“I love you Soo. Thank you for doing this.” Kyungsoo shrugs, smiling in a way that would be unnoticeable if the person viewing was unfamiliar with Kyungsoo. But Jongdae sees how the corners of Kyungsoo’s lips quirk up, and how his stirring of the flowers gets slower, calming down with one little acknowledgement.

 

“I did need to dye a few other things. Pass me the overcoat, Jongdae.” Jongdae picks up the pan holding the long garment, and passes it to Kyungsoo, imagining how it would look on Minseok, no longer an unnaturally pale white, but a frosty blue that accents the way his eyes shine. Kyungsoo gently lowers the coat into the dye, pushing it down with his stirring stick to make sure it’s completely covered. After a little swirling, Kyungsoo scoops the heated water out, leaving the overcoat floating in the centre as he replaces it into the pan.

 

“Chanyeol, keep it bubbling. The faster the colour soaks into the cloth, the faster it’s done.” Kyungsoo orders gently, already swirling around the next piece of clothing. Chanyeol nods, placing a hand near the bowl to keep it going.

 

“Want me to do this? You can go manage whatever you need to manage.” Minseok offers, and after a brief period of hesitation, Minseok receives the large stick.

 

“Stir it gently. After a little bit, fish it out and let it soak in the water. If you feel lightheaded, go sit outside and make Jongdae take over. He’s good at following directions.” Kyungsoo gathers up a smaller basket and with a little glare that says “don’t burn down my house,” he walks out without a backwards glance.

 

“So, you’re the god of thunderstorms?” Minseok lowers a shirt into the water, then looks over to Jongdae as to confirm that he was, indeed, actually talking to him.

 

“Yeah.” Wow, so eloquent, no other words could ever accurately describe what Jongdae needs to say and make him sound less stupid, beautiful.

 

“I saw you during the storm, didn’t I? Were you controlling it then?” Minseok slowly carves out the bubble of water and Jongdae holds the pan up for him, receiving a gentle smile in return when Minseok lets go and the water gently plops in.

 

“Yeah. I’m usually controlling all of the storms during this season unless Junmyeon gets mad at me for whatever and takes over.” Why did he suddenly lose the ability to join together more than two thoughts at a time?

 

Minseok makes a small noise of acknowledgement as he pours some more water into the pot to make up for the amount he took out, and Chanyeol sends an extra hot heat wave over to help.

 

“Oh right. Why didn’t you tell Junmyeon that you’re awake?” Chanyeol asks as he accepts the new pot, his furnace-like ability becoming useful suddenly even as Jongdae starts feeling like he could melt.

 

“Because that makes him worried, and I’m trying not to worry him. Jun’s got enough to worry about.” The light around Chanyeol glows in a somehow disbelieving way, and Jongdae could already see Baekhyun’s raised eyebrow. “Besides, it makes it permanent. I could still fall asleep at any moment, and it’s better not to worry anyone. But now since half of you know, might as well tell Jun, right?”

 

“Half? It’s only me, Jongdae and Kyungsoo you know.” Chanyeol says in confusion, and Jongdae takes a moment to reconsider his friendship.

 

“Come out Baekhyun, we all know you’re there.” Somehow to Chanyeol’s surprise, the light surrounding him twists and turns, hardening and shaping into a person, Baekhyun landing in Chanyeol’s arms.

 

“How did you know I was there?” He pouts and Chanyeol stares at the boy in his arms, flabbergasted.

 

“Wait, how long were you there?”

 

“Look-“

 

Baekhyun looks more exasperated than anyone else in the room, and though Chanyeol is still holding him over a few pots of bubbling water, they jump straight into an argument about how stupid they both are.

 

Minseok draws a shaky breath that sounds more like a cough, and Jongdae looks away from the drama in the room to see Minseok with his eyes closed, and basically propping himself up with the stirring stick instead of stirring with it. If Jongdae felt like he was melting with all the sweat dripping off him, then Minseok might’ve been genuinely melting, a full sheen of sweat covering him and heat of an alarming degree actually radiating from him. Maybe it’s like how Baekhyun always goes unnaturally quiet when it’s completely dark and Junmyeon can’t stand to be too close to a fire. If so, then Minseok needs to cool down, fast.

 

“Are you alright?” Jongdae starts leeching off the heat energy in the room, ready to create his own thunderstorm inside if necessary to bring the temperature down.

 

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere this hot before.” Minseok opens his eyes and gives Jongdae a weak attempt at a smile.

 

“You’re burning up. I’m pretty sure the god of Frost isn’t supposed to be giving off more heat than the god of Heat.” Jongdae just needs a little more, a little more for the band to snap, and then he could drown the entire room.

 

“Don’t.” Minseok shakes his head, apparently having sensed Jongdae’s consolidation of power in the process. “I’ll be fine, don’t mess up the balance for me. I just need some water and I’ll be fine.”

 

“You sure?” Jongdae tests the limits of his power, just in case Minseok changes his mind and just in case he could do it after all. It’s ready to snap and fill the room in a storm that would make Kyungsoo very mad at him for a few moon phases, but Jongdae stops prodding at it and holds it still.

 

“Yeah. I’m just not using my energy because it’s been awhile and I’ll probably use too much and freeze everything.” Minseok wipes some sweat off his brow and stands up straight, looking better now that he isn’t giving off heat that would be more likely be found in a volcano.

 

“So just some water?” Jongdae lets go of the rain he had ready to come down, and the heat releases in a cloud of vapour, steaming up Kyungsoo’s windows.

 

“Please.” Minseok’s sweating more, and the heat that he had just stopped giving off starts again. Where did Kyungsoo put the tea pot? Next to the basket of blue flowers, ah. Jongdae pours about half of whatever tea left into a bowl that Kyungsoo had “borrowed” from Junmyeon about three mortal emperors ago and turns back to Minseok, who is determinedly carving out another block of water for the loose threads. He’s slightly shaking, and his tracing is about as uncertain as Kyungsoo’s eyesight, taking too much water in some places and not enough in others, sweat glistening and making his shirt stick to his skin.

 

“Hey, you should really step out and take some liquids. You don’t look so good.” Jongdae barely extends the bowl to Minseok before Minseok shudders and drops the bubble of water. It’s barely a minute movement, but Minseok nearly falls against the pot and Jongdae nearly throws the bowl across the room in an attempt to try and help stabilise Minseok. Thankfully, Minseok catches himself before he falls, and Jongdae has to do an impression of a tremendous sneeze to avoid looking like a fool.

 

“Do you want me to take the string out? You should really drink this.” Jongdae resists the urge to start that thunderstorm. Baekhyun and Chanyeol aren’t helping at all, just producing more light and heat the longer they argue, completely unaware of the rest of the house. Kyungsoo’s plants are wilting like Minseok. Jongdae is starting to unconsciously draw in heat energy, taking it in for a future storm and so he doesn’t suffocate right now.

 

“I can really do it. Just let me sit down for a bit and I’ll be fine.” Minseok pulls a chair over and sinks into it, accepting the bowl of tea even as he tries again for the thread.

 

“If you don’t let me start a storm, then let me do at least this.” Jongdae frowns, lighting already crackling along his fingertips in a way that would usually have Junmyeon concerned if they weren’t about to unleash the forces of nature.

 

“Alright.” Minseok concedes, and Jongdae takes up the spot directly next to the pot, victory procured. “You’re really enthusiastic about the storms.”

 

“I’ll start one for you another day so you can see why.” Jongdae says absentmindedly as he starts carving out the water. Then the words suddenly run through his head, replayed by a kinder cell, and Jongdae wonders exactly why he had suddenly lost all control of his ability to think. “If you want, that is.”

 

“Of course.” Jongdae turns back to see Minseok smiling, and then suddenly his whole vision blanks, leaving that gentle smile seared into his retinas with a bolt of light enough to kill three flowers and a vine.

 

“YAH! If you’re going to torture us like this, take it outside! I’m going to boil in my own sweat!” Jongdae aims a warning lighting bolt at Chanyeol’s foot, and thankfully, it finally stops their argument. Unfortunately, since Chanyeol is more easily startled than a bird pecking for berries, the tall bean pole jumps back in surprise, forgetting the Baekhyun he carries, the pots full of near boiling water around him, and the fact he stands in a house not built with acrobatics by Chanyeol in mind.

 

Kyungsoo opens the door to his house in the middle of chaos, and Jongdae wonders once more if they - Chanyeol and Baekhyun - will survive this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, since I'm not in the business of dying (things or myself), I don't really know what happens or if any of this is accurate since I only watched like two youtube videos from [my queen](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoC47do520os_4DBMEFGg4A). Seriously, without her videos, there's a good chance this story wouldn't have gone any way, since she is beautiful and majestic and I love her.  
> If the link doesn't work, her channel is <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoC47do520os_4DBMEFGg4A>, or 李子柒 Liziqi.
> 
> The video I watched is titled [（羊羔毛斗篷)Weaving a Cloack with Fluffy and Soft Lambswool, Never Dread Winter Anymore|Liziqi Channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvmC-leoj9U), but it's more likely you'll see it with the google translated title called [Fear not the harsh winter with the cloak made from soft and fluffy wool](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvmC-leoj9U=).
> 
> (And that's my promo of the day, bye.)


	3. my boi needs to like wake up and smell the snow (metaphorically)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The waterfall is beautiful (and so is Minseok).

Jongdae shows up to Kyungsoo’s door the next day with a basket of berries and a bottle of a mortal emperor’s best spirits as an apology. Kyungsoo, however, is not as easily fooled as one may think, and opens the door without any doubts as to exactly why Jongdae stands there.

 

“Jongdae, what’s the occasion? I haven’t seen you for a full season, and now I see you twice in two days.” Kyungsoo leans on the door in such a way that one of the larger leafing vines helps him block the view of inside the house perfectly, and Jongdae refuses to try and stand on his toes to give Kyungsoo the satisfaction of knowing he’s won in whatever game they play.

 

“I wanted to see how your house was doing after dyeing everything yesterday. I also wanted to bring over some snacks, since I didn’t see any yesterday.” Kyungsoo automatically steps backwards when Jongdae hands the basket over and steps forwards, manners and muscle memory working against his favour as Jongdae quickly sneaks into the now clean dining room.

 

It was as if the events that had taken place not even hours ago were completely removed from the history of the room. The numerous pots and pans and metal appliances that all appeared from nowhere were completely out of sight, perhaps back to whatever vortex Kyungsoo had pulled them out of. The few small seats and tables were back in their place, the plants around them happily resting once more, and the little dining table where Kyungsoo takes breakfast is back in the centre of the room, a half-eaten meal of bread and porridge already started.

 

There’s no sign whatsoever of Minseok, not that Jongdae had expressly checked Kyungsoo’s sleeping rooms or the numerous hiding places around, but something in the way he stops slightly in his tracks to look over the room must’ve given away his true intentions.

 

“Minseok’s not here, if you were looking for him.” Kyungsoo brushes past Jongdae to place the basket of food onto the dining table, heading to the kitchen for another bowl to take out some of the berries.

 

“I wasn’t. I was here to see how you and your house were doing.” Jongdae quickly steals the seat across from the breakfast Kyungsoo was in the midst of eating, smiling nicely at him. Kyungsoo turns around briefly to give him a knowing look as Jongdae pops a berry into his mouth, disguising his emotions as hunger.

 

“Well, my house’s doing better, though the burned wood from your lightning bolts will probably stay around forever.” Kyungsoo bustles around, scooping up some more porridge and bread for Jongdae, who helps himself to just a few crumbs of Kyungsoo’s meal while waiting.

 

“Sorry, Kyungsoo. I promise it won’t happen again, but at least your house has a distinguishing mark?” Kyungsoo shoots Jongdae an annoyed look across the plant-filled space, a particular vine creeping across the support beams up above in a worrying manner to rest threateningly above Jongdae’s neck.

 

“Did you have breakfast yet?” Even though Kyungsoo asks the question, he finishes cutting up the loaf of honeyed bread and pouring out some of the honey into a smaller bowl for Jongdae to add into his porridge as desired.

 

“No. Thank you for the meal!” Sure, Jongdae was there to see Minseok, but who was he to turn down breakfast from Kyungsoo’s hands?

 

The honey is sweeter than the days, and Jongdae almost feels sorry for bringing his meager offering of berries, especially with the knowledge that they would never be able to compete with the pure way honey fills up a mouth and demands attention in its quiet and loving way. He had arrived with a stomach full of stolen berries, eaten over a slow walk and picking, but the porridge and bread managed to give him strength and energy in a way that makes his whole day brighter.

 

“So, what are you going to be doing today?” Jongdae sits with a content warmth in his stomach, clinging onto the last shreds of his tale that he was not there for the mysterious stranger that showed up during a storm and captured Jongdae’s attention completely.

 

Kyungsoo scoffs as he picks up the basket and sends the dirty dishes floating gently out the window towards the large washtub waiting outside next to the stream. “Minseok left early in the morning for a walk in the forest. You can stop pretending you’re here to watch me garden all day.”

 

“But I love watching you garden all day!” Jongdae exclaims, getting up to wrap himself around Kyungsoo, nosing into his personal space with a smile.

 

For his credit, Kyungsoo doesn’t flinch at suddenly having another body around his own, especially when Jongdae rests his chin on his shoulder. Instead, he walks towards the door, maneuvering surprisingly well when he has another pair of legs to worry about tangling.

 

“Just go. I’ll see you tomorrow and every other day after that, won’t I?” Jongdae lets go of Kyungsoo, very impressed with these great points.

 

“Yeah, probably. Love you!” Kyungsoo just waves him off, heading towards the little cellar to store the spirits for a little more before Chanyeol and Baekhyun convince him to open it up in a few days.

 

Jongdae turns away from Kyungsoo’s retreating back, taking a moment to breathe in before heading into the wild unknown of the forest. Life smells like the bright promise of summer, which is surprisingly similar to the mixture of honey and berries that Jondae had just consumed. He plucks a small white flower from the ground at his feet, Kyungsoo probably won’t mind, and sets off towards the shade.

 

~~~~~

 

Even as the light inside the forest gets dimmer, Jongdae is so much more aware of just how alive the forest is. The bugs seem to be amplified trice, and birds sing and swoop around him with an excitement that gets louder and more insistent the longer he walks. A small squirrel drops by his feet and disappears just as quickly, and a robin laughs as he traces this barely worn out path. There’s no dirt of worn out soles that indicate that Jongdae could be following footsteps Minseok had taken earlier, but more of a feeling, an indication that if he listens to the way the birds sing towards, he’ll find him eventually.

 

The trees on either side of the path Jongdae makes shade him so feverishly that there’s hardly enough for a weed to grow, hidden from the sun high above. But life still dances so nicely, and the grass is vibrant enough to stain clothes purely by brushing past them, so much so that Jongdae wonders if Baekhyun likes walking this path, giving them additional energy. Probably not. But it wouldn’t surprise him, not as one of Baekhyun’s most queer quirks.

 

The birds lead him to a small waterfall with a less small stream. The spray from the water shines with a multitude of colours, and the fish dance and jump in those colours as if hosting an event together. Jongdae takes a brief pause to wipe some sweat off his brow and to pick up a few of the shinier stones, something to perhaps interest their resident magpie Jongin the next time they meet, but accidentally casts one of the flatter away, where it jumps down the water like the fish. Even though he should float over, Jongdae strips himself of his shoes and rolls up his pants to prevent them from getting wet, hopping into the water to play with the fish. They nibble in little greetings, before losing interest and leaving. And so, instead of crossing immediately, Jongdae follows the direction of the fish, walking along into lighter water, feeling coolness on his toes, even as he dangles his shoes precariously over the waters, willing to jump as they swing.

 

“How’s the water?” Jongdae actually leaps sideways a step, startled out of his reverie by the voice that appears too closely in a speechless world. If he was walking just a bit deeper, it would have been no problem, but as it was, Jongdae is a coward. He lands somewhere too shallow, and then loses balance, falling face-forwards into the water with Minseok’s surprised expression doing nothing to help.

 

He sputters for words as fish jump over his legs, pushing water and hair out of his eyes as he looks up to where Minseok sits in a tree, not affected by the water in any form. Eventually, he settles on a consensus. “Cold.”

 

“Oh? Is it a nice cold?”

 

“In this heat, it should be.” Once again, Jongdae is baffled at Minseok’s ability to hide away and vanish with such bright and distinguishable colours, seeing how he is sitting in a tree with one of the lightest shades of blue, and Jongdae nearly just walked past. The blue really suits him, giving off a false impression of cold steam, and seeming a bit crisper in a completely warm atmosphere. Minseok isn’t wearing sleeves yet again, and his hair still seems the same kind of unbelievably fluffy that they were yesterday, not pressed to his skin despite the heat and humidity rising. Gosh, if only Jongdae could blame his lack of distinguishable words on the way Minseok rests so effortlessly against the hard bark of the tree, but that’s just stupid.

 

Minseok laughs, and with a quick shift, jumps out of the tree, descending surprisingly slowly towards the ground. The flaps of his overcoat settle somewhere higher in the air than they should, and Jongdae is privy to the fact that Minseok is not actually wearing robes like one would expect, but shorter pants, the exact shade of the rest of his clothes. This alone confuses him so much that he does not get up instead of soaking gently in the water, but watches as Minseok’s feet touch the ground and his overcoat becomes affected by gravity a solid few breathes after his body is.

 

“Need help getting up?” Minseok stands on the edge of the stream, and he holds a hand out towards Jongdae as if he doesn’t know that it’s a trap, pulling Jongdae into something further. Jongdae, in turn, also has a trap, and yanks back as hard as he can when Minseok’s hand securely wraps his.

 

“Yeah, thank you.” Jongdae shuts his eyes in anticipation for the forthcoming splash, but instead of Minseok falling, he’s flying up, startling the poor fish that tried jumping during the wrong moment. Jongdae opens his eyes as soon as he realises that his brilliant plan is going horribly wrong, and receives an eyeful of silver scales, covering one half of Minseok’s curious look.

 

“Whoa!” Jongdae slams into Minseok from the momentum, and despite the fact that a larger body had just hit him, Minseok doesn’t even move a step. In fact, he even steadies Jongdae by pulling him in, holding him hostage against his chest until Jongdae isn’t swaying. From his very awkward position against Minseok’s chest, Jongdae could nicely feel exactly what is going on under Minseok’s thin layers.

 

“Are you alright?” Jongdae tilts his head to look into Minseok’s eyes, and sees nothing but concern despite their awkward position.

 

Oh no. He’s nice and strong and ripped, and Jongdae’s out here feeling him up shamelessly.

 

“I’m fine.” Jongdae takes two steps back, hoping that his face isn’t actually as hot as it feels. He coughs as he dusts the water off his clothes, ignoring how Minseok watches him. “Now, do you want to go for a walk? You haven’t been awake during summer yet, so I can show you around.”

 

“Your shoes?” Minseok points at the objects still held tightly in Jongdae’s grasp and Jongdae smiles along with Minseok, if not a bit more awkwardly, and teleports them on.

 

“Thanks.” Jongdae decides to just cut his losses and starts walking away, ignoring the pants legs still rolled up to his knees and Minseok standing curiously there. Like he hoped, gentle paddling follows him along as Minseok walks after him, content in this time.

 

“So, did you come to visit me?” Jongdae hears an edge in Minseok’s voice, teasing in a way not unlike how Baekhyun would.

 

“You looked pretty bad yesterday, I was wondering how you’re doing. Are you feeling better?” Jongdae turns to look at Minseok, but Minseok is already step in step with him, complexion a thousand times better than how it was in Kyungsoo’s steamy house.

 

“Yeah, I’m a lot better. Thank you for visiting.”

 

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.” They step in quiet for a little, the only sound being the little brook chattering next to them. Jongdae didn’t realise how tense he was until he starts to relax, calmness appearing in the form of the stream.

 

“So where are we going? Or are we just walking along the stream?” Minseok breaks the silence, and Jongdae freezes inside. His feet still move, and his expression stays the same neutral calm inspired by the stream, but there’s a part of him standing completely still, horrified inside. He can’t just say that he had no plan and that walking along the stream was honestly the highlight of his luck. So Jongdae panics, and where does he go when he panic? To the perfect spot to show Minseok.

 

“Uh, right. I’ll take you right there.” Jongdae extends an arm towards Minseok, but what is he going to grab? He can usually grab an arm of the others, barring Yixing and Baekhyun who always somehow know exactly when he’s asking for a hand, but he can’t just grab Minseok! They don’t even know each other that well, and what if Minseok has something against being suddenly grabbed?

 

The back and forth of indecision and staring ends when Minseok holds a hand out, seemingly noticing how Jongdae stares at his own in wonder and insecurity.

 

“You can take my hand. I don’t bite.” Prompted, Jongdae wraps a hand around Minseok’s gently, forcing a little smile so it doesn’t look like he’s still frozen. Minseok’s hands are the smoothest he’s ever felt, and the statue imagery reappears, but incomparable to the real thing. Minseok’s slightly cold like smooth marble or porcelain, but then he squeezes Jongdae’s hand a little, and there’s suddenly nothing but the uttermost gentle spark of life, like a snail poking its head out of a cold shell, or the first giggle of a newborn baby.

 

There’s spray and rumbling when they appear, and Minseok stares in wonder at the waterfall they stand at the base of. Jongdae beams when Minseok steps forwards slightly, as if prompted by something other than a conscious thought, to reach towards the water with a hand. The temperature here is cooler than anywhere else so Minseok won’t have to worry over overheating again, and the way he stares so reverently at the water through the little rainbows jumping around reminds Jongdae of the way Minseok stood during the rainstorm, as if spending time in something a bit more than himself.

 

“It’s beautiful.” Minseok breathes, barely submerging a finger into the water, watching the spray bounce off.

 

“It is.” Jongdae agrees, and Minseok turns back with a smile on his face, shining brighter than any variation of the colours in the falls.

 

“Thank you for showing me this. I’ve never seen it as powerful as it is now.”

 

“Well, I have to show you things so you don’t get lost when you explore on your own.” Jongdae laughs when Minseok protests that he doesn’t get lost, not moving an inch to prove the claims besides denying them. The warmth in his heart and palm grows apparent when Minseok calms down, and Jongdae looks down to see Minseok’s hand still in his, connected together and no longer the cold marble of before.

 

“Ah.” Jongdae removes his hand from Minseok’s, not mentioning at all the fact that it seemed to fit in his in a way that almost bothers him. Minseok’s expression shifts quickly before he’s shaking it off, putting his hands under the falls to cup a rainbow out of the air.

 

“In the winter, it flows a lot slower, because most of it is frozen. The rainbows are really beautiful.” Minseok takes another step closer to the water and actually wades in, submerging a foot and shoe under the shallow edge of the pond formed by the waterfall.

 

“What else is different in the wintertime?” Jongdae asks, already slipping off a shoe. He honestly didn’t need to put it back on, especially since he was going to be taking it off so soon. Ah well, past avoided embarrassments are just future set-ups anyways.

 

“Well, the pond was frozen over, so you could skate on it. Everything was also pretty white and black, not all green and bright like how it is now.” Minseok lists, thinking through his responses as he holds his little handful of water, not a single drop daring to escape the cup he formed with his hands. “There was also a lot less life. Most things tend to sleep during the winter, so Yixing can bring them all back during spring.”

 

“Yeah, that’s true.” Jongdae thinks back to one particular storm when Yixing was going around with Han, helping coax bunnies out of sleep, seeds waking up as he passes by with Kyungsoo watching from a nice vantage point on Chanyeol’s shoulders.

 

“Really, thank you for showing me this. I love this place already.” Jongdae blinks at how Minseok’s eyes just light up as he continues to speak about the waterfall, body slowly trying to soak itself in, piece by piece.

 

“Well, don’t rate it so high, how can I follow up to something like this then?” Jongdae jokes, unable to keep the grin from sliding onto his face.

 

“Follow-up? You’re going to bring me to more places?” Minseok questions, smiles briefly replaced by a curious question appearing in his eyes.

 

“If you want to go. There’s still so many places that you haven’t seen yet.”

 

“Oh.” Minseok blinks twice, and the water starts leaking out of his cupped hands. “Can we play in the water first?”

 

“We can start going to other places tomorrow. I just want to show you somewhere really quick before we go into the water, is that okay?” Minseok drops his cupped hands, stepping back onto dry land, the last drops of water sliding off his shoes.

 

“Sure. Where are we going this time?” He automatically holds a hand out for Jongdae to teleport them, and before Jongdae really registers what he does, he unrolls his pants and takes the offering of companionship though it is but a short walk.

 

“Uh, it’s just a bit of a walk up.” Jongdae points at the barely traceable path up ahead, and Minseok nods, but doesn’t retract his hand back. “It’s going to be a bit slippery, so be careful.”

 

“I think I handle slippery better than you.” Minseok says as Jongdae leads him off the path and straight into knee-high grass, sloping slightly upwards.

 

“Oh really?” Jongdae teases back, bending slightly to avoid getting hit by the huge willow, squeezing Minseok’s hand to make sure he doesn’t lose him by accident.

 

“Of course. I’ll have you know that when we went ice-skating, I was the best.” They’re past the grass now, on a dirt path where seeds can’t spread to, stolen by the willow from the air. Jongdae deems himself confident enough to turn around and look at Minseok without the possibility of tripping over a hidden log, and finds Minseok smiling up at him.

 

“What’s ice-skating?” Minseok gasps, faking scandalised with a passion.

 

“You don’t know what ice-skating is?” Jongdae shakes his head, a little confused.

 

“I’ve heard of ice, but it’s all pretty small. How do you skate on those pieces?”

 

“Ah,” Minseok nods as if realising something, “right. You’ve never actually seen winter. I’ll have to show you how to ice-skate one day.”

 

“I’m looking forward to it.” The roar of the water crashing into each other isn’t the only reason Jongdae’s head is pounding a little, especially when Minseok smiles again like the promise of future interactions is the best thing in the world. He turns around to hide the fact that he’s absolutely giddy, and to keep from slipping again, with the danger imminent again.

 

Like he suspected, the stone wall is just in front of them, so he would’ve walked straight into it if he didn’t turn around.

 

“That’s a stone wall. What are you planning on doing, having me walk up the stone?” Minseok sounds amused enough, but Jongdae huffs.

 

“Wait a little. It’s just around here somewhere, I haven’t been back for awhile.” Jongdae kicks his foot forwards in a few ways that most likely is making Minseok think that he’s crazy, and if he wasn’t sure that this was the waterfall, he might’ve called himself crazy too. But then his foot kicks into an area of emptiness, and he sets it down confidently.

 

“This way.” Jongdae looks back to make sure that Minseok is still watching as he slides his body forth, squeezing through the cleverly disguised passage that looks barely there.

 

“Where are you going?” Minseok is undoubtedly confused, but then Jongdae slides forwards the last bit and Minseok disappears from sight, the only indication he’s still there being the hand tightly connected to Jongdae’s.

 

“Come through! It’s really cool here!” Jongdae’s voice bounces off the walls and the water, creating a little bit of an echo behind the curtain of water. Minseok slides his body through, an awe-filled look lighting up his face as he takes in the little area, slick with water, little bits of white light bouncing off like the water that splashes towards them.

 

“Wow. Are we behind the waterfall?” Minseok looks around at the little underpass, moving towards the waterfall again to catch a handful from the underside.

 

“Yeah. Isn’t it pretty?” Minseok nods in agreement, a little water crystal in his hand from the water of the waterfall.

 

“Thank you for showing me this place.”

 

“Oh, this isn’t where I wanted to show you.”

 

“It isn’t?”

 

“No, it’s just a bit further up. And you don’t have to thank me, I want to show you around summer.”

 

“Thank you anyways.” Jongdae has no choice but to accept the thanks, and so he nods in acknowledgement.

 

“Yeah yeah, let’s keep on going.” Minseok tosses his water crystal down, shattering easily before falling back with the water in the falls. Jongdae pushes the imagery out of his mind as they walk forwards on the stone passage, side by side.

 

A bit higher up, hidden by the way the stones seem to be carelessly piled near a few determined trees, is another passageway, leading straight into a cave. The temperature drops every step forwards they take, and Jongdae wonders if Minseok is regretting the short sleeves. But then again, he’s probably used to temperatures such as this.

 

“So where is this?” Minseok asks when they’re so far in that the light from the sun is but a distant pin-prick. Jongdae rolls a boulder in front of the passage to be completely sure that they’re blocked in, lightning crackling along the hand not connected to Minseok to provide a little light.

 

“Junmyeon actually showed me this place, said that it would be helpful in letting me get rid of some stress.” A bitter smile falls onto Jongdae’s lips as he recalls how Junmyeon led him up here with barely restrained anger, then had Kyungsoo appear out of nowhere to fully seal him in, the duo refusing to let him out until he was much calmer, the storm he created wrecking the world above them. “Can you let go of my hand for a little?”

 

“Ah, sorry.” Minseok drops Jongdae’s hand as if just realising that they were still connected, taking a step back to distance himself.

 

“Since it’s pretty isolated from the outside, you can just like release a lot of energy or whatever, and it wouldn’t bother anyone else besides you.” Jongdae sends the lighting bolt flying, and it bounces off the walls enthusiastically before it finally lands near Minseok’s foot, out of momentum to keep going but already charging the room. “Ah sorry, I forgot that I’m not the only one here.” Jongdae apologises as the walls thrum with energy, leaking water making the whole place into a very conductive place.

 

“It’s okay. I’m strong enough to take a few lightning bolts.” Minseok jokes, smiling as Jongdae quickly draws the electricity back in, just to make sure.

 

“But yeah. You can make this cave really cold, or just release some energy.” Jongdae offers, electricity still buzzing about him to give Minseok a little light.

 

“Well, do you think you can take some ice?” Minseok asks, challenging Jongdae.

 

“It’s not that bad. Bring it on.” Minseok flicks something wet and cold at Jongdae, and before he has enough time to figure out what it is and get it off, Minseok unleashes himself.

 

There’s little white flakes that are swirling around in the air, slowly falling to the ground and turning straight to water. The temperature is dropping lower than Jongdae has ever felt it before, and the water is melting the white flakes slower and slower, pieces actually floating on top. Minseok is looking straight at him, waves of what seems like heat radiating off him in deceptive twists, and Jongdae finally understands how Minseok managed to stay so white in the rain.

 

Then suddenly, the waves of cold stop. Minseok blinks twice, and then sighs, and suddenly, it’s like everything’s retreating back into whatever Minseok had brought it out from, the flakes slowly falling even if the temperature doesn’t keep dropping.

 

“Are you cold?” Minseok asks, small from his place only a few steps away, but seeming the whole field’s distance across. It takes even longer for Jongdae to realise just how quietly Minseok’s talking, the silence suddenly so loud without the input of whatever Minseok had let out.

 

“I’ll be fine. What are these things?”  Jongdae can’t shiver, and he certainly isn’t doing so, he’s just in awe.

 

“Do you want a hug? For body warmth?” Minseok opens his arms, and even though Jongdae hears the teasing tone in his voice, he can’t deny how cold he actually is.

 

“I’m just cold.” Minseok hmms in a tone that isn’t completely unsuspicious, but Jongdae ignores it in favor of focusing on how Minseok is now radiating warmth, with his arms nicely around him.

 

“These white things drifting down are snowflakes. The white thing is called snow.” A snowflake melts on Jongdae’s cheek, and Minseok laughs at how Jongdae goes cross-eyed in order to try and properly see it.

 

“Don’t laugh, it’s new.”

 

“I know, I know.” Minseok smothers his laugh with a barely restrained smile, and creates a few snowflakes for Jongdae to hold in his hand. They don’t last long before they’re turning to water and slipping through Jongdae’s fingers, but it’s calming, and Minseok smiles at him so softly when he looks at them.

 

“The hard water on the floor is ice. Ice is just frozen water, and if you freeze enough water, you have enough ice to skate on.” Jongdae taps the ice on the stone a little, and it cracks, sending splinters running through the ice like a little spider rushing to create a web.

 

“It cracked!”

 

“Yeah. Ice is pretty fragile, especially if it’s really thin. I could freeze a lot more for you to try and ice skate, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do it here.”

 

The ice doesn’t crack when Jongdae stomps down straight into a huge puddle, and the snowflakes don’t stay around, barely staying in their frozen state before landing onto the puddles on the ground.

 

“You don’t need to make it warmer for me.” Sure, Jongdae’s currently wrapped up in Minseok’s arms because he was cold, but Minseok didn’t need to destroy the little world he created for himself just because Jongdae was slightly chilly.

 

“I don’t need to release too much energy anyways. I’m still technically in conservation mode anyways.” Minseok shrugs, and before he could say another word, he’s assaulted by Baekhyun. Metaphorically, though Baekhyun did say something about jumping him, and it’s never a bad time to be on high Baekhyun alert.

 

“AH! Warn me before you do something like this!” Jongdae shrieks, blinded by Minseok suddenly teleporting them back into the river with the fish.

 

Minseok laughs, trapping Jongdae in the more he protests the sudden shift in scenery, especially as another fish jumps up and attacks him as well. And even though Jongdae’s a little bit soaking wet, the water is the warmest he’s ever felt, Minseok’s happy, and there’s nothing wrong in the world.

 


	4. The Symptoms of Heatstroke (and Treatment Methods)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minseok's sick, but don't worry we have a doctor and slightly not textbook approved methods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning, I'm not sure if it counts as a trigger warning but there's a bit where right after Junmyeon says that Minseok's burning up that they have to heal him, and basically it's like Jongdae has to just electrocute Minseok but Minseok's a god so it doesn't hurt him (not that he could feel). It's basically over when it says "the thunderclap ends."

* * *

Jongdae comes to Kyungsoo’s again the next day, and then the next, the next, and keeps doing it until the days turn into weeks and Minseok’s the one who opens the door. Kyungsoo soon barely has enough time to give them both an exasperatedly fond look before they’re out the door and far away again, and time practically flies by faster than before.

 

Jongdae isn’t exactly proud to say he nearly neglects his powers, gentle rainfalls coming down instead of storms during the day when they doing everything from catching frogs to swimming, delegating the harder storms to the cover of darkness when Minseok returns to Kyungsoo’s house to soak in power like the sponge he should be. But still, it’s such a comfortable lull that Jongdae nearly falls into thinking that life could just stay like this forever. But there’s always a little bit reminding him that Minseok is still a winter god and he’s a summer god, and even if nothing else happens, he at least has the memory of their days together to keep him company for the rest of time.

 

Life takes a brief pause in their daily schedule when Jongdae knocks on the door and Kyungsoo opens it this time, frown on his face and unrest in his eyes.

 

“Hi Kyungsoo, where’s Minseok?” Once again, Jongdae’s faced with Kyungsoo and a strategically placed plant to keep him from being able to look into the house. This time, however, there’s no playfulness, no gentle look full of teasing in Kyungsoo’s face.

 

“You two can’t go running around today.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Soo, I’m fine. We won’t do anything too bad.” Minseok appears over Kyungsoo’s shoulder, nudging aside the plant and then giving Jongdae a little wave with one hand. The other drapes across Kyungsoo’s shoulder a bit tightly to just be casual, and Kyungsoo’s expression hardens a little.

 

“You’re sick!” Kyungsoo protests, an arm wrapping around Minseok to stabilise him.

 

“You’re sick? Then you should rest today.” Jongdae doesn’t get to even start expressing his intent to leave before he’s suddenly tugged forwards by his robes, the material coming to life with a mind of their own, bringing him straight to nearly over Kyungsoo’s threshold.

 

“No. Soo, it’s just a little light-headedness, I’ll be fine.” Minseok brushes the arm supporting him off and undraping his other arm, ploding forwards towards Jongdae.

 

“You’re clearly not fine, you need care and time to recover.” Minseok doesn’t even take three steps but he practically falls into Jongdae’s arms, only furthering Kyungsoo’s fussing. But Jongdae can’t return Minseok to Kyungsoo’s arms, not when Minseok has such a crestfallen look, clinging onto Jongdae’s robes like a spider attached to its web.

 

“We can go visit Yixing. You don’t need to keep worrying about me.” Minseok argues, the temperature radiating off him rising by the second at a worrying rate.

 

“Fine. Don’t die.”

 

“That’s what I do every day.”

 

Kyungsoo closes the door with a bang, and as soon as he’s gone, Minseok lets out a sigh, his knees weakening as Jongdae picks up more of his weight. With a quick glance into Jongdae’s eyes, they reappear onto a cloud, and Minseok sinks into the comfort of the cloud with a little hiss, steam rising after being chased away by Minseok’s heat.

 

“Are you really alright? I agree with Kyungsoo, you should really rest this out, you’re burning up.” Jongdae rests a hand on Minseok’s forehead, which is about as warm as Chanyeol’s hand would usually be. But at least he can’t see the shimmers of a heat mirage surround Minseok, so he’s not burning through more of his precious stored energy.

 

“Kyungsoo’s being overprotective. I’ll be fine, I’ve been through worse.” Minseok waves it off, holding Jongdae’s hand hostage on his head, squeezing with both of his own.

 

“Did something happen?” Jongdae feels fingers spreading his third and fourth fingers, and looks down to see a singular eye peeking back at him. “Sorry, you two just seem a bit...”

 

“A bit upset? It’s just because Soo’s just too caring.” Minseok smiles, his temperature dropping the longer he lies there. “I got a bit light-headed and my temperature started rising, so he wanted to keep me inside to rest a little. And I don’t want to be rude, especially when he’s letting me stay in his house, but isn’t it a bit suffocating inside?”

 

Alright, Kyungsoo’s house could sometimes be overwhelming, with everything growing and thriving and following Kyungsoo’s will, but Jongdae never felt that it was suffocating inside.

 

“So can’t you stay somewhere else?” Jongdae asks, using his other hand to brush through Minseok’s hair, drawing whispers of steam out with each motion. “Where do you usually rest?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

What.

 

“Ah, don’t give me that look, I really can’t remember. I usually teleport in when Yixing starts waking up, but I just can’t seem to teleport in right now. I don’t even know what region it’s in.” Minseok huffs, frustrated steam blowing out of his mouth like how mortals depict one’s spirit. His head is completely cool, yet he seems to still be burning up inside.

 

“How about we go visit Yixing now? The god of Frost shouldn’t be hotter than Chanyeol.” By how Minseok reacts, Jongdae can see that the joke has fallen flat, probably because even he can hear the worry in his voice.

 

“No, I need to see Junmyeon first. Yixing’s too good to keep it a secret, and then Junmyeon’s going to be annoyed at me for not telling him myself.” Minseok sighs, finally peeling Jongdae’s fingers off his face and sitting up. “Do you know where he’ll be?”

 

~~~~~

 

Salt. Salt is the first thing that hits Jongdae when they arrive, splashing up into his face with the repetitive back and forth of the waves, pulling and pushing. The second thing that hits is the slight temperature change, wind blowing a cool accompaniment towards the land, in tune with the movement of the waves. Maybe it’s just Jongdae, or maybe it’s the electricity of being so close to another’s domain, but there’s energy washing in with the waves and the wind, sparkling and crackling, waiting so eagerly for Jongdae to grab hold and pull into lighting and thunder. There’s a storm that Junmyeon has been brewing, and Jongdae longs to take it out of his hands.

 

It isn’t immediately clear where Junmyeon is, nothing but rock and waves and grey and blue, so many shades of the same thing joined together that makes it almost hypnotic. But Minseok tugs forwards on Jongdae’s hand, leading the way up the rocks, and Jongdae spots a lone blue shade, too bright among the rocks and too dark for the sky.

 

It’s too loud to hear if Junmyeon would speak, and so Jongdae blames the fact that he doesn’t hear Junmyeon until they’re nearly upon him, steps away from the edge of the cliff he dangles over, feet swaying in time with the water.

 

“Jongdae, who’s that with you?” Junmyeon doesn’t turn around, gaze stolen by something in the distant water that Jongdae can’t see. Up close to Junmyeon, he could practically taste the spark of electricity, a storm on its brink, just waiting, begging for Jongdae to start. Then Minseok squeezes on his hand and Jongdae is reined back down to the ground beneath his feet, letting Minseok step forwards to do what he needs to. Junmyeon isn't going to be happy about this. How could he, with the balance so recklessly broken, and proof hidden away from him?

 

“Hey Junmyeon, I’m a bit early this year.” Junmyeon whirls around suddenly, hands grabbing onto the pebbles next to him to steady himself and avoid falling when he starts at Minseok’s voice. The storm is gone, but an inkling of something else appears, something that Jongdae can’t control or untangle.

 

“Minseok?” Junmyeon swings a leg back onto solid stone, eyes not leaving Minseok in shock. “But-how-it’s not autumn yet.”

 

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m awake. Jongdae’s been helping me get used to this season, and it’s not that bad.”

 

Junmyeon’s strangely adorn in pearls, little beads sewn along the details of his robes, a necklace of them looping his neck and even two entangled in his hair. Junmyeon’s eyes dart to Minseok and Jongdae’s joined hands, no words coming to him just yet. Jongdae doesn’t know when it became a habit for them to just hold hands, Minseok never lets go after they teleport like others would, and it’s soothing to feel Minseok start unconsciously rubbing his thumb over his hand at times, or when the space between their palms get colder.

 

“How long have you been awake?” Junmyeon doesn’t move, hands still full of pebbles, useless if he was actually to fall.

 

“Nearing a full rotation of the moon.” Minseok drops Jongdae’s hand first when Junmyeon drops his pebbles over the side of the cliff, and they sputter against the rocks, consumed easily by the waves. There’s a brief silence when Junmyeon brushes the gravel off his robes and stands up, and Jongdae notes that because of the way the rock slopes, Minseok is actually barely taller than Junmyeon. That of course doesn’t matter, when Junmyeon’s eyes are full of anxious thoughts waiting to burst out, and Jongdae wonders what would happen if Junmyeon was to break.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” There’s betrayal and worry in Junmyeon’s voice, and then a wave splashes especially high, hitting the curve in the underbelly of the cliff.

 

“Because I didn’t want to worry you. Maybe it’s not unnatural, and I’ll be falling asleep again.” Minseok replies calmly. The air is colder, but it might just be the waves splashing harder and higher along the stone they stand on, Junmyeon in a conflict.

 

“But you could’ve just told me. There’s an imbalance, you know that you’re not allowed to be awake.” Junmyeon looks ready to do something extreme, and while Jongdae isn’t sure what it could be, it certainly can’t be anything good.

 

“Junmyeon. Minseok didn’t disturb the balance any more than how it’s already been tilted, he hasn’t frosted over the earth or anything, and he just didn’t want to worry you because you stress about everything already.” Jongdae interjects, stepping forward to keep Junmyeon from doing something he’ll deeply regret again. There’s a brief pause, and then the waves calm slightly, going back to more of their original rock and turmoil.

 

“Sorry for not telling you.” Junmyeon nods in acknowledgment of the apology, a lighter expression taking over.

 

“How are you feeling then?” Minseok wordlessly offers his hands in answer to the question, and Junmyeon takes them in his, closing his eyes to better feel. If Yixing, as the bringer of life and spring, can figure out any illness and how to cure it, then Junmyeon, the holder of life, senses the condition of each life force. It’s not often that Junmyeon ever checks personally anything, everything in tune usually singing their repetition to him when he passes.

 

“Minseok, what’s going on? You’re burning up.” Junmyeon opens his eyes with the same swirling change of colour in Minseok’s, and doesn’t release Minseok’s hands long after they stop twisting.

 

“I don’t know. We were planning on seeing Yixing after this.”

 

“I’ll go with you. He should be in the mountains, fussing over something with Baekhyun.” Junmyeon blinks twice again and his eyes are suddenly no longer his, taking on more of the intense force of Yixing’s, broken in colour, half his own and half not. Jongdae takes the hand Junmyeon offers to him, and then they’re standing in a puddle of water, Yixing analysing some plants nearby. A cloud drifts lazily over, unchecked by Jongin in his absence, and Junmyeon lets go of their hands when Jongdae and Minsoek do the smart thing and step out of the puddle.

 

“Xing.” Yixing looks up with a smile at Junmyeon’s voice, but it drops into confusion with the registration of the other two. Something blooms when he stands up, and he walks forwards, plants becoming more vibrant as he passes them.

 

“Minseok. It’s nice to see you again, but why are you awake?” Yixing gives Minseok a soft, if not a bit confused hug, drawing him in tight.

 

“We all have the same question it seems. How are you doing?” Minseok greets, seeming to grow a little too in Yixing’s hug.

 

“I’m doing fine. But what are all of you doing?” Yixing grabs Junmyeon and Jongdae for quicker hugs, confusion not dropping.

 

“Visiting you. Where did Baekhyun go?” Jongdae takes his hug as a chance to fit in a quick question, especially with no sign of the bright god anywhere in sight.

 

“He had to check on something with Chanyeol.”

 

“There’s something wrong with Minseok.” Junmyeon cuts Yixing off before he could properly greet him, hug the last thing on his mind. “He’s burning up.”

 

Minseok, appropriately, chooses this moment to cough up a cloud of steam, and falls over, limbs useless. He falls directly into Jongdae’s arms, his temperature rising alarmingly fast again. A flower wilts from frost and Yixing grabs Minseok’s hands as Minseok’s eyes close. Yixing closes his eyes too, and after a few seconds of squeezing the colour from his hands, Minseok makes a sound more accurate from a tortured prisoner, his eyes drifting open and close just barely.

 

“Distract him. This isn’t going to be the easiest.” Yixing orders, and Jongdae has nothing to do but obey.

 

“Minseok? Can you hear me?” Minseok makes a kind of groan that Jongdae takes as a yes, ignoring how it sounds like it’s more from a dying frog. “Okay. Just focus on my voice, I promise that you’ll be able to get through this.”

 

Yixing nods encouragingly, and even though his eyes are closed and he’s still focusing with a level of concentration that Jongdae has never seen from anyone, thing, or object, Jongdae chooses to believe that it’s encouragement for him.

 

“Do you want anything? Besides the pain to stop or anything, because it’ll stop really soon. I’ll get you anything, just name it.”

 

Minseok slightly parts his lips, forming a word even without the ability to push air through and create the full corresponding sound.

 

“Rain? Did you say rain?” Minseok slightly nods, just barely able to move his head in response. As if wished, water gently drifts down to the ground, and Jongdae looks up to see Junmyeon standing above them, controlling the gentle rain-fall to the earth. Jongdae mouths a little thank you to Junmyeon, who brushes the thanks off and brings the rain a bit higher, as to better hit them all. The rain rolls right off Minseok, leaving him with the same kind of pure colour his robes had once been. Jongdae runs his hand through Minseok’s hair, feeling how it stays just as soft and fluffy as it has been when dry, pulling each strand apart slowly.

 

“Jongdae, shock him.” Jongdae looks up at Yixing, the command so alarming that he nearly did just that without being able to ask why.

 

“What? Isn’t that going to hurt him more?” Jongdae lifts his hand from Minseok’s head, gaining himself a displeased groan. Even at the expense of hurting him, Jongdae gives Minseok what he wants, and starts gently massaging his scalp again.

 

“Do it.” Jongdae sends a few sparks to bounce against Minseok’s scalp, a minor shock that shouldn’t do anything besides give off a soothing zing.

 

“Stronger.” Jongdae makes visible electricity fly between his hand and Minseok’s head, and Minseok shudders hard, steam starting to pour off his body in droves.

 

“Jongdae, you have to shock him hard.” Yixing spits out through gritted teeth, hair plastered to his skin and red marks starting to form where Minseok’s nails meet his hands.

 

“How can he handle it? He’s barely functioning now, I don’t want to kill him!”

 

“Jongdae.” Yixing opens his eyes, staring across the body into Jongdae’s. They’re starting to swirl like Minseok’s, but they’re still vividly the brown of Yixing. “If you trust me, no-if you want to save Minseok, you’re going to start shocking him with as much power as you can use, and you’re not going to stop until I say so.”

 

Jongdae takes a breath. And another. And another and another and three more and then he closes his eyes, unable to watch how Yixing’s eyes seem to be transforming more and more into Minseok’s as he watches them. Jongdae tastes the sparking of a storm oncoming and lets out his breath. Then he floods his body with all the energy running rampant around the charged mountain just as Junmyeon throws away control to the storm and Jongdae lets it go. Seconds later, he suddenly can’t breathe, submerged in a storm so feverish that he might’ve just jumped into the sea, leaving Junmyeon with the rights to his body to toss and toy with, though he knows so inherently that the control is his, all his. He can’t hear the one continuous thunderbolt, no end nor beginning yet they reside within the middle, and even if he can’t see through the storm, there’s a shining light too close to his face, pure released energy right next to his fingertips.

 

He can feel the way that energy flows through Minseok’s body, gathered up in places where they shouldn’t be and being choking, ugly masses of deadweight, more heat than should ever be in a body. He gets a brief flash of his own energy overwhelming the heat before it’s nothing but white, hastily covered canvas with gentle imperfections of cloud. Jongdae blinks again and the image grows in focus. What he thought were imperfections were objects, bare tree skeletons and naked rocks. The little white flakes that Minseok had shown him in the cave float down, adding more and more to the already perfect covering. What did he call them?

 

Snowflakes.

 

That’s what they are.

 

Jongdae reaches a hand forward to touch the snowflake, and a white robe, white as the snow on the ground and in the air follows his hand. The whitest fabric he’s ever seen, and these aren’t his hands. Jongdae whirls around, finding himself in nothing but a white wonderland with hands that aren’t his and powers that aren’t his and a body that doesn’t belong to him. But he knows these hands, almost as vividly as he knows his own, they’re Minseok’s-

 

“JONGDAE!”

 

Jongdae opens his eyes, seeing Yixing’s lips moving instead of hearing the words actually coming out, an outline in the pearl white light. Minseok’s glowing, burning up inside again like an ember instead of the steam from boiling pools of water. There’s no movement, and all Jongdae could hear is his own gasp as he wrenches his hands off of Minseok, slamming down hard on the tendrils of his power wanting more, more, just a little bit more.

 

But Minseok still glows like a star and Yixing’s also submerged in the light overwhelming them and Yixing’s growing panicked, lips moving without being able to form proper words, asking for Jongdae, calling for him to stop. Jongdae grabs Minseok’s shoulders and pulls, grabbing the remnants of his power and yanking it back in, trying to reverse the actions that he has spent so much doing earlier. A god isn’t built to unleash such energy and stop unnaturally, but rather ride on a wave that eventually wanes and starts to retreat. Jongdae can feel himself still trying to give instead of take, and at this point he’d probably be better off a good few steps away, where he’s not close enough to hurt Minseok further but his body is automatically searching to draw in more energy and replenish what he let out. However, arms loop around his and a new source of unlimited energy hits his back and Minseok and Yixing blink out like fireflies in the night and Jongdae remembers to breathe.

 

The thunderclap ends, booming through Jongdae’s system with an echoing presence, and the rain slows to drizzles, enough to dust off.

 

The fingers of the hands overlapping his hands curve around his fingers, gently prying them off from the grip he had on Minseok, lifting them up one by one until they’re off, still stuck in the mimic claw but not connected to Minseok. Jongdae doesn’t know how tense he is until his arms slacken and fall to his side, and the arms still wrapped around his own cross over his chest, enclosing him in a back hug.

 

Yixing also separates himself from Minseok, releasing the bone-white hands slowly, arms quivering without something to anchor down on. Junmyeon stops supporting Yixing to bend down and catch him as he slumps backwards, soothing Yixing’s arms until he’s relaxed as well.

 

Everything’s silent for a little bit, before the sound of Minseok’s bones popping back into shape and re-mending themselves startles it away, the rain clouds even rising to just be clouds, blocking some of the sun for some peace after the blinding vision. He’s drenched now, hair and clothes pressed to him like everyone else, no longer with that pure colour that is never dulled.

 

“Now, what the fuck was that?” Baekhyun’s voice comes from the head rested on Jongdae’s shoulder, but before Yixing could say anything, Minseok coughs twice and opens his eyes, sending forth a layer of cold.

 

“Minseok! How are you feeling?” Yixing rests a hand over Minseok’s, gently covering it as Minseok attempts to sit up. Baekhyun tenses a little when Jongdae leans forwards to help Minseok, keeping him from moving to help. The only explanation Baekhyun gives for his actions is a small head shake when Jongdae attempts to turn his head to look properly at Baekhyun.

 

Minseok slowly sits up on his own, propping himself up on limbs that pop every time he moves, no attempt of help extending to him. When he’s properly sitting up again, he stretches his arms, creating a small chain of popping noises that sound quite like those firecrackers the mortals like to play with. Yixing retracts his hand from the knee it fell on when Minseok stretched and Junmyeon stands up from behind him, walking over to Minseok and lending his hands to help him stand. Yixing slowly reclines backwards until he’s flat against the ground, eyes focusing on nothing in particular floating across the sky. Jongdae wants to do the same.

 

“You’re fine now. Do you feel better?” Minseok stretches a leg out slowly, holding firmly to Junmyeon to keep his balance as his legs and hips pop. There’s no other words besides the quiet cracks of Minseok’s bones adjusting back into place, even Baekhyun completely silent as he focuses on restraining Jongdae unnecessarily.

 

“What kind of a number did you do on me?” Minseok needs to clear his voice twice in order to say something not clogged with crackles and thickness, and Junmyeon lets out a sigh of relief at Minseok’s voice.

 

“You’re probably off better not knowing.” Baekhyun says, and it’s his voice, the speed of his breathing that Jongdae anchors to, a few seconds away from dropping. “You were all lucky that I didn’t go far, this could’ve gone a lot worse if I didn’t see that you needed help.”

 

“What Baekhyun means-” Junmyeon cuts him off as he closes his mouth to draw breath, and even if Jongdae can’t see it, he hears the telltale sigh that is Baekhyun pouting, “is that we didn’t know that it would be so draining. But you’re fine now, and everyone can go rest.”

 

Minseok takes a really long time to slowly twist his neck, focusing his attention on Yixing first, who gives a little smile when he notices Minseok looking at him, before finally closing his eyes and slipping into a nap. Minseok then turns to Jongdae and Baekhyun, barely sparing a moment looking at Baekhyun before his eyes, full of worry, slide to meet Jongdae’s. It’s so relieving seeing the familiar spin in Minseok’s eyes, and it’s this that clicks the last switch for Jongdae, his body no longer forced to support itself on shreds stolen from Baekhyun as it exits the state of high alert.

 

Junmyeon says something about Minseok needing to get into bed and rest as Jongdae closes his eyes, focusing on the gentle in and out of Baekhyun’s breath, slipping into sleep to Minseok’s voice saying something else.

 


	5. Oh de(a)er

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is he jealous? Most signs point to yes.

The sun has just barely placed itself in the sky when Jongdae shows up to Kyungsoo’s house, ready for a day of fun with Minseok. Of course he wasn’t due for a few hours, nor does anyone know he’s here, but there are less hours in the day as time passes, and while Jongdae has no clue what will happen with the turn of the season and he needs to sleep, it’s worth upending a schedule to see Minseok more.

 

After they healed Minseok, Baekhyun says, they forced him back to bed in Kyungsoo’s house. Jongdae and Yixing both took early naps in Junmyeon’s house instead, and while Yixing doesn’t say exactly how any of what had happened correlates to healing Minseok, he doesn’t suffocate in the heat or Kyungsoo’s house anymore, and everyone who’s by his side for more than a few seconds will receive a small gust of cold, as they should. Jongdae woke up quite early, barely sleeping through the rest of the day before waking completely refreshed. Yixing on the other hand, took nearly a week off, sleeping through visits that brought him gifts and decorated him until he was more lavishly dressed than mortal offerings. Jongdae apologised as soon as he could, because being subject to his full strength as well as having to heal Minseok was quite draining and a matter that no one should suffer through. Of course Yixing accepted the apology, but when he isn’t being careful, Jongdae can see a scar on his right pointer fingertip, blemish in the perfect that suffices as a reminder that they are not infallible.

 

Jongdae sneaks up to the window Minseok sleeps in front of, planning on luring him out with the promise of being able to go fishing, an unfamiliar sport to Minseok. But when he gently raises himself to peek through, Minseok isn’t in bed, which is neatly folded and tidied up. So Minseok must be awake already. Well, that means Jongdae just has to use the front door.

 

Kyungsoo opens the door with a sleepy expression and hair sticking up in every direction, most likely having been stirred awake by Jongdae’s knocking. “Hmm?”

 

“Hi Kyungsoo! I wanted to see Minseok earlier today, do you know where he is?”

 

Kyungsoo does something that’s a cross between a nod and an indication of the head, rocking some of his hair back into place with the motion. “He’s with Han in the forest, like they are every morning.” Before Jongdae can say something like thanks, or maybe a simple what, Kyungsoo closes the door, presumably to get back into bed and sleep until the time they should be awake.

 

Minseok’s with Han? And they spend time together every morning? Jongdae knows that he spends more time with Minseok anyways, and Minseok seeing his friends are quite natural, but there’s a bit of an uneasy feeling that rises when Jongdae thinks about it. This feeling, strangely, had started to appear more often when Minseok officially announced that he was awake and Jongdae had spent quite a few days with more than just Minseok at his side.

 

Since they were the last to know that Minseok was awake, Sehun and Jongin were quite insistent on stealing Minseok, and Jongdae had spent that day in a particularly pretty crystal cave where he was planning on taking Minseok, amusing himself by throwing a stone back and forth, watching it grow and shrink in size.

 

Sure, the two drifters wanting time with Minseok for only one day isn’t that bad, but it’s not them that really irk Jongdae. It’s Chanyeol and Baekhyun. It’s always Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun, after more or less keeping them all from burning through too quickly, decided that he was now going to follow Jongdae and Minseok whenever he has time that he could spare, which ends up in some pretty awkward situations where Baekhyun teleports in out of nowhere and then proceeds to ruin Jongdae’s plans for the day. There was the time that he wanted to teach Minseok how to make flower crowns like how the mortal children do, not least because the particular flowers he found would’ve matched Minseok’s eyes perfectly and looked great against his skin, and then Baekhyun appeared and demanded all of the flower crowns for himself. Then there was the mortal festival that Jongdae wanted to bring Minseok to, to be able to experience the fun and the food, but Baekhyun wanted to play with some rainbows, so they wasted the day doing that.

 

Chanyeol, while not annoying in the same fashion, ruins Jongdae’s plans by being himself. For example, the time they went rowing in a little boat and Chanyeol flipped the boat over by standing up too quickly, and then nearly rowing himself over a waterfall. Sure he would’ve been fine, but Jongdae prefers not watching the pieces of his friend’s mortal body dashed to pieces. Sometimes Jongdae has to take a few seconds to wonder how Chanyeol is actually intact, or why his body is so susceptible to being hurt. The amount of times Chanyeol has nearly killed himself while ruining Jongdae’s plans are astronomically high, and for a god of Heat, he seems to prefer the cold a bit too much, sticking too closely to Minseok for Jongdae’s comfort.

 

And don’t even get him started on what happens when the two are together. Baekhyun stares after Chanyeol a little too much for either of their good, and then nearly kills Jongdae, not once, twice, nor three times, but five times in a row by spending him flying towards a dangerous situation. And the time Baekhyun ousted Jongdae as a god in a particularly bad place where they were against immortality and the gods? Even if it was to keep Chanyeol from being beaten up for being too tall, Jongdae does not appreciate the way that he had to set the town on fire to escape.

 

So yeah, seeing Minseok with anyone besides Kyungsoo around doesn’t exactly put him in the best of moods. Sometimes even Kyungsoo gets him annoyed, like when Minseok likes curling up to the sterner god a bit too close for comfort.

 

But Jongdae can’t even hate Han, the animal god being one of the nicest gods around, second only to Yixing. He prefers hanging out in deer form, which is apparently without the burdens of the humanoid body, and his voice is gentle and calming, especially with his habit of adding in whistles among sentences, little tweets to the birds endlessly following him. Jongdae has no reason to hate, or even dislike Han, and he’s nothing but the nicest whenever they meet. Then he turns the corner and sees Han in deer form quietly asleep in Minseok’s lap, and suddenly the urge to teleport Han somewhere very far away rises up.

 

At the same time, it’s a breathtaking scene. There’s the morning rays of sunshine, more golden and richer than any other time of day, slipping through the cracks of the branches in the forest to fall upon Minseok, dressing him in gold. The robes he wears today are light green, almost the shade of the grass he sits on, and the light makes them shine like Jade. Minseok hasn’t seen him yet, still looking down at the deer with a soft look that is so content and caring that it almost makes Jongdae turn away, pretend he was never there, and the feeling rises higher. A hand is resting gently on Han’s fur, not moving, just there as a soft constant for the animal.

 

Minseok likes constance, a touch purely to tell if someone’s still there, and Jongdae only discovered this because of the way Minseok always like to hold his hand, rarely letting go unless he was settling it against a different part of his body. It’s something that Jongdae never really dealt with, but the more he considers it, he quite li-

 

As if Minseok knew that Jongdae was standing there thinking about him, he looks up, and for a few seconds, his eyes are pools of amber, uncrystallised and smooth liquid flowing. Then he blinks and smiles, beckoning with his free hand for Jongdae to come forward as if Jongdae wasn’t just intruding on this terribly personal time. Every step Jongdae takes forwards sounds so harsh, thumping against the ground instead of the light way Han seems to almost float over the ground. The deer stirs a little in Minseok’s arms, so Minseok smooths his fur as to rock it back to sleep. After a little shifting, he does exactly that. Jongdae, however, has learned his lesson about walking too loudly, and hovers in the air, floating over the ground instead of possibly waking Han.

 

“Hi.” Jongdae’s voice cuts through the gentle calm of the day like how a fox snaps its jaws over an unsuspecting hen, but for some reason, Minseok doesn’t wince like he should. Instead, he pats the ground next to him for Jongdae to sit, and he slowly maneuvers himself down.

 

“Morning. Are you up this early for me?” Minseok’s voice is quiet, and the birds start singing again as he speaks, no hint of the stickiness that comes with just waking.

 

“Yeah. I wanted to see if I could start seeing you earlier in the morning, since it’s always so peaceful during this time.” Jongdae confesses, and Minseok smiles brighter, taking Jongdae’s hand with his free one.

 

“It is more peaceful, isn’t it?” Jongdae hmms an affirmative, agreeing with the statement. It’s barely cooler in the morning without Chanyeol yet awake to truly bring the temperature into sweat-dripping degrees. Nothing’s happening just yet, everything slowed down by the time when all are waking, and the light is always the most beautiful during this time.

 

“Oh! Hi Jongdae.” Han steps out from behind some trees, two birds perched on a shoulder and adorned in robes of the richest brown, made with fabric that somehow doesn’t whisper whenever he moves, and looks about as soft as the hair on his head. Jongdae doesn’t start, even if he had somehow no indication that Han was anywhere nearby, and hold up what? “I didn’t know that you were going to be dropping by today, or I would’ve been here to welcome you.”

 

Jongdae glances back and forth between the deer in Minseok’s lap and Han, clearly walking towards them in human form. If Han wasn’t the deer, then what is the deer?

 

“I didn’t really know that I would be here either.” Jongdae tries, not quite sure what to say in this predicament.

 

Han’s smile somehow grows, looking so much happier than anyone has the right to look at this hour. Jongdae didn’t think that what he said was that funny, in fact, it wasn’t.

 

“Mind taking your daughter away since you’re back, Lu? I would like to spend the day with Jongdae doing whatever fun thing he has in mind for us instead of following you walking around.” Minseok, surprisingly, looks quite cross, false annoyance taking over his face. Han’s smile doesn’t really fall, but the look in his eyes dims a little as if hurt, and Jongdae feels sorry that he arrived in the first place.

 

“You wound me Minseok. Well, you heard your uncle, BaoBei, want to go for breakfast with baba instead of lying around pretending to be asleep?”

 

The deer automatically comes to life, unfolding its legs and springing out of Minseok’s lap so quickly that if Jongdae didn’t witness it, he would’ve never guessed that the deer was asleep just a few moments ago. But maybe that’s just because what Han said was true and the fawn was actually awake. It stops briefly to collect a brush on the back from Minseok before bouncing off towards Han, quickly outpacing him and disappearing to shadier places in the forest.

 

“I better catch up to her, but it was nice seeing you Jongdae. I hope we can meet more often.” Han smiles prettily one last time towards Jongdae and Minseok before shifting into a stag and also running off, the birds that were on his shoulder quickly settling on his antlers.  

 

Minseok takes one look at Jongdae’s confused expression and smiles, somehow understanding exactly what Jongdae was trying to ask without saying it. “The fawn lost her mother to mortal hunters recently after she was born. Lu happened to be nearby, so he just kinda adopted her.”

 

Great, now Jongdae doesn’t like someone who raises orphaned baby animals.

 

Minseok, oblivious to Jongdae’s new moral dilemma, stretches slightly before getting up, pulling Jongdae with him. He flashes a smile down at him, as dazzling as the sunlight over his face, and asks innocently as if everything is alright, “So, what are we doing today?”

 

~~~

 

That encounter somehow sparks a chain of events, all involving Han. Jongdae’s suddenly aware of Han everywhere, from brushes in the forest with Minseok to seeing him running around at night, shifting seamlessly between bodies to check on the creatures of the night, those asleep and awake. With the amount of times he’s seen Han in the last few days, it’s actually quite a wonder that they haven’t become good friends over the years, or at least better acquainted.

 

Then one morning Jongdae walks into Kyungsoo’s house to steal some breakfast and finds Han just sitting at the table, and he brushes it off as a hallucination. He’s thinking about Han so much that he’s actually imagining Han.

 

“Morning Jongdae. How was your night?” Okay, maybe it’s not a hallucination. What kind of a coincidence is this.

 

“Good. It was good.”

 

“That’s nice to hear.” Han beams and Jongdae is left once more feeling like he’s doing something wrong, especially as Kyungsoo walks into his dining room, sees the uninvited visitors, and then walks out.

 

“How was your night? Is your daughter doing well?” Jongdae takes a seat at the table, which surprisingly now had four chairs around it instead of the normal two, attempting for some sort of normalcy so they may trick Kyungsoo into thinking that they have a right to breakfast.

 

“Well, nights usually just pass, don’t they? And BaoBei’s fine, she’s out walking with Minseok because apparently I shouldn’t live off of just grass.”

 

Kyungsoo walks back into the room, seeming significantly more awake and ready to hurt them, and Jongdae puts on his best smile, preparing to try and disarm Kyungsoo’s attack before it comes. Instead, Han beats him to the chase, standing up with another one of those heart-melting smiles, and reaches for Kyungsoo with a hug.

 

“Soo! How have you been doing? It’s nice to see you again.”

 

Maybe it’s because Kyungsoo’s just about as stunned as Jongdae is that Han acts first, but he doesn’t resist when Han pulls him into a hug, his robes moving with a light whisper of wind, making him sound more delicate than anyone has the right to be.

 

“Han? Why are you sitting in my house?” Han grins a little at those words, wrapping around Kyungsoo a bit more.

 

“Ah, straight to business like ever, nice to see that the things I love about you never change.” Han steps back from Kyungsoo, the light in his eyes just a little bit brighter when he sits down again at the table, prompting Kyungsoo to take two steps back, and the look in his eyes to grow sterner.

 

“You too Jongdae, why are you two suddenly in my house?”

 

“Well, I was wondering if we could have some food. You always make something exquisite, and Minseok thinks that it’s better if I eat something else besides grass.”

 

Kyungsoo then looks to Jongdae, wondering exactly what his excuse is.

 

“You’re the best cook I’ve ever met, and I was hungry for some food.”  

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, deeming those barely genuine attempts of flattery as passable by the way he walks towards the kitchen to start making some food.

 

“You don’t need to lie to get food.”

 

“There’s nothing but truth in my words. Thank you Soo!”

 

“Yeah, we love you.” Jongdae chimes in, receiving only a grouchy huff for his trouble. Kyungsoo would’ve made them food anyways, but it’s nice letting him know that they appreciate him.

 

Now that their breakfast is secured, Han turns his attention back towards Jongdae, a hand reaching across the table to rest itself on Jongdae’s hand. Han’s hand isn’t as soft as it looks, actually a lot rougher than the pure delicacy of his skin suggests. But it’s certainly soft enough, and if nothing else, Han makes up for that minor hiccup with softness radiating from every other part of his body, politeness embodied.

 

“It’s nice to be able to see you more often. I’m sorry that I didn’t spend more time with you in the past, but it’s always a lot busier when the weather gets warmer.”

 

Jongdae dislikes one of the few gods in the world who is this good. Gosh, he is such a bad person.

 

“Oh, don’t apologise for being busy. I’m sorry that I didn’t try to spend more time with you, especially since I should’ve sought you out.” Han also shakes his head, disregarding his apology.

 

“Don’t be sorry. I know that only spending time with me walking around and doing nothing in particular is quite boring, Minseok has let me know that many times already. I’m just glad that you’re treating him so well and showing him the best of this beautiful season.”

 

“I’m trying?” Jongdae tries, not sure how to reply anymore. Han laughs, amusement warping his face into something slightly less perfect that makes Jongdae feel just the slightest bit better about himself. But the fact his only flaw shows only when he’s the happiest is horrid, why is he taking pleasure in something that Han is so confident in? Jongdae wonders if he should give up early so it saves him the embarrassment of having to face Minseok.

 

“If you want food, come up and get it yourself.” Kyungsoo interrupts whatever Han was about to say next, cutting him off just as he opens his mouth. Han closes his mouth and instead gives Jongdae a content beam, seeming to have discovered something that Jongdae hasn’t yet.

 

~~~

 

Not two evenings after the conversation, Jongdae floats in the air, high above the land, watching, waiting for the world to turn to day. He watches the mortals down below for personal entertainment, seeing as there’s not much else to do, especially when Junmyeon doesn’t think that they need a storm yet, and most everyone is resting.

 

There’s horses carrying riders running over lands, and some drama going on in the mortal royal city, fires lighting up the halls like a blaze appearing. Nothing much else is happening, and Jongdae wonders if it would be worth it to actually visit the mortals for a little fun, figure out what everyone is so worked up over. But then he sees a man wearing robes of black and red shifting into a bird and flying out of the mortal city to the cover of forest where another man in light robes waits with a fawn, and Jongdae’s intrigued. What is Han doing in the mortal kingdom, especially at night with Minseok?

 

Jongdae isn’t stupid enough to go down to ask Han to his face, nor is he a fool to try and disguise himself as an animal to get closer to Han. So he justs drifts along on top of a piece of cloud, following them back into the forest.

 

It quickly becomes obvious that the cloud is too high for him to see anything of the duo, especially with the branches and leaves blocking Jondae’s view. He nearly loses them twice before he decides that the cloud plan is unnecessary and stupid. So instead of doing what a normal, prideless person would do, Jongdae does what a rational god would do. He might not be allowed to make it storm, but Junmyeon has said nothing about fog.

 

So he waits until they’ve stopped moving before setting fog onto the forest. Jongdae then changes into a wisp of air and descends into the cover he created, following the sound of Han and Minseok’s voice, slightly louder than the creatures of the night. Jongin isn’t going to be the happiest about Jongdae taking his job, but it’ll be a long time before he sees Jongin again anyways.

 

“So, when are you planning on doing it?” Han’s still human, standing in front of a small underbrush where the fawn is settling down. “You know that you don’t have all the time in the world, and if you won’t do it, I’ll do it for you.”

 

“Lu, you’re horrid.” Minseok grumbles, and Han chuckles softly, stepping forward to put a hand on Minseok’s shoulder.

 

“Who said I was telling him about you? He’s adorable, and if you don’t pick him up, then it means he’s completely free for me.”

 

Minseok rolls his eyes, staying still as Han leans in, mouth nearly to Minseok’s ear.

 

“Wait.” Han backs off, a look of confusion on his face that gives Jongdae a little too much joy to see. But the joy evaporates quickly when Minseok trains his eyes upwards, scanning the skies like he was searching for something. Then before Jongdae quite knows what exactly happens, something hits him.

 

Now, this may be a bit weird, which is why Jongdae pauses his floating around to try and work through exactly what happened. He’s no longer in human form. He had covered the whole forest in fog as to not make it suspicious. He is a wisp of vapour, joined with the fog. And something managed to hit him? Instead of falling through?

 

Minseok narrows his eyes, and within seconds Jongdae’s choking, trapped and suffocated in a domain where no one is supposed to be able to reach him. Jongdae coughs, gasping for air as he somehow falls back into human form, Minseok grabbing one of his arms to guide him down to the ground.

 

“Jongdae? What were you doing there?” The duo stares at him with mixed expressions. Han seems a bit more confused than earlier, bending down to where Jondae’s recovering on the ground to be at eye level. Minseok seems confused as well, but his face betrays none of that, face a perfect mask of concern.

 

“I saw you leaving the city and I was curious as to what you were doing. I thought it would be too awkward to just ask.” Jongdae spits out, feeling the last strains on his throat lessened, though the surprise and suddenness would probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

 

“Ah. That’s understandable, but you don’t have to feel awkward about asking me about anything ever.” Han takes the arm that Minseok was holding a second ago and helps Jongdae sit up,  lending Jongdae some of his strength to get up. Jongdae doesn’t believe that he’s ever felt how Han’s energy feels like, but to no one’s surprise, it reflects him perfectly, available in lilith strands that bind around a body purposefully and sinks in at just the right spots. When Jongdae’s standing again, Han holding onto one of his arms to keep him up, Jongdae has the harrowing thought that Han would be hard to match in a fight, and then dismisses it immediately. Who would Han be fighting? “I’ll tell you anything.”

 

“Thank you?” Jongdae doesn’t know how to tell Han that he could stand on his own, especially when Han is barely taller but is somehow now the same height as him, folded over Jongdae in a way not unlike how Baekhyun would, to help spread the dainty healing energy work its magic over Jongdae’s body. He doesn’t even need this healing, but the warm tingles are always nice.

 

“Are you alright? The fall looked bad.” Minseok asks, apologetically unapologetic to the side.

 

“I’m fine. The fall was barely your height, I’ll live.” Jongdae answers. Even if he was hurt, Han would’ve already healed and then soothed the wound hundreds of times over by now.

 

“Do you want to come into my house? I could get you something that could help you feel better, and some tea or something if you want. The bees had a lot of honey to spare this year, so it’s especially sweet and fresh.” Jongdae never even knew that Han had a house in the first place, and now that they’re turned towards the underbrush, Jongdae can suddenly see a door? Wait, if that’s a door, then where’s the fawn?

 

“You heard him, he’ll be fine. And since your bedtime has long passed with your daughter, I’m going to take Jongdae back to Kyungsoo’s, Lu.” Minseok holds his arm out for Jongdae as if asking for a toy or a favour. Han sighs but still helps Jongdae to Minseok anyways, and Jongdae realises exactly how cold the night is as soon as Han lets go of him with his miraculously warm energy.

 

“Well, if either of you want to visit, my door is always open.” Han waves a little, watching as Minseok wraps his arms around Jongdae as if they were about to hug or dance with perhaps a little too much humor in his eyes.

 

“Good night Lu.” Minseok says firmly, and before Jongdae has time to do more than open his mouth and wave, they’re gone, into a small clearing that slopes into a small hill.

 

Out here in the middle of nowhere, Jongdae can see the stars again. Minseok unwraps his arms from around Jongdae’s torso, and despite Minseok being quite cold, he feels colder when Minseok’s gone.

 

“Sorry about that. I didn’t know if it was Baekhyun or not.” Minseok apologises, threading his fingers with Jongdae’s once again, using his other hand to gently turn Jongdae’s head from side to side as if checking for scratches. Jongdae’s completely clean and healed, Han made sure of that, and so Minseok nods in satisfaction a few seconds later, finding no visible wounds.

 

“Wait, you did that? How did you do it? I was basically air!”

 

“Well, not nearly. But I can’t tell you, it’s one of my best tricks.” Minseok grins, theoretically locking his lips.

 

“But how did you sense me? I did that specifically to avoid being detected.” Jongdae might be whining a little, but judging by the way that Minseok is pulling him along a little smugly, he’s not overreacting.

 

“Practice. You won’t believe the things that Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Jongin have done in the past.”

 

“Care to enlighten me?”

 

“No. I don’t want you to get any ideas.” Jongdae laughs despite himself and Minseok grabs his other hand, whirling him along in a weird spin as they move towards nowhere in particular.

 

They make it up to the top of the hill before Minseok stops, digging his heels in even as Jongdae keeps spinning, looking up to the sky.

 

“Lie down with me.” He offers, plopping onto the ground and spreading his limbs out, stretching with the barest hint of a yawn. Jongdae lowers himself down slower, breathless from the spin, and tired from the day. When he looks up, it’s at a sky full of stars, bright and glowing, so beautifully shining. There’s a reason Baekhyun calls them his pride and joy, and watching the lights dance over them and streak across the sky, Jongdae thinks he understands why.

 

“So, how did you see Lu leaving the city?” Minseok asks after a slight pause, the both of them only focused on the way the stars blink.

 

“I wasn’t stalking him, I swear.” Minseok smoothes Jongdae’s hair down, a smile teasing on his lips to let Jongdae know that that was never his assumption. Jongdae turns back towards the heavens, happy with the attention. “I was bored, and floating around, and saw him leaving the mortal city to meet you in the forest. I just wanted to see what you two were doing.”

 

“Well, we were getting involved in mortal affairs.” Minseok snarks, imitating how Junmyeon warned them before, long ago when they were young and foolish, and therefore young and heartbroken. Jongdae doesn’t even remember what happened that made Junmyeon give them that warning, and Minseok certainly wasn’t around to hear it, but there’s nothing else that matches the tone so well. He sighs, his breath accidentally clouding up in the air. “The mortals are fighting again, going to war and such. Lu was checking up on where they were planning to fight so we could steer far away, and getting something for his house, but wouldn’t tell me what. For animals with such short lives, they have no real sense of self-preservation.”

 

“That is bothersome.”

 

Minseok shifts slightly, turning over to look at Jongdae, the hand no longer still moving through Jongdae’s hair. Jongdae complains a little, so that Minseok might continue on, but Minseok ignores his protest. Jongdae turns over, intending on using the full bargaining power of his face to convince Minseok to keep going.

 

Minseok’s staring straight at Jongdae, a twisty frown on his face, as if contemplating something. His eyes roam over Jongdae’s face like an artist looking for a flaw on a sculpture, but Minseok seems to be more serious than any artist could be, like he would be able to just reach out and then pull Jongdae out of the body that houses him.

 

Jongdae forgets everything that was already rushing through his mind, including how to breathe.

 

“Minseok? What are you doing?” Minseok removes his hand from Jongdae’s head to trace downwards, butterfly breathes along the bones of his skull, using the palm instead of his fingers, applying a warm pressure.

 

“Just wondering.”

 

“Wondering what?” Minseok brushes a finger over Jongdae’s cheekbones, leaving a trail of ice behind, before somehow shaking himself out of his reverie and drawing back.

 

“How do you feel about Lu?”

 

“Didn’t expect that question.” Minseok doesn’t show the proper amount of enthusiasm, so Jongdae continues, tracing the stars in the sky by the way they reflect from Minseok’s eyes. “Well, he’s really nice, and like I don’t think that I can say anything bad about him. I mean like, how does he get to be so perfect? Where’s the charm and beauty and stuff for the rest of us?”

 

“Do you like him?”

 

“Like how?” Jongdae tries for a smile, but Minseok’s expression doesn’t change, completely serious. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit too serious?”

 

“Just answer the question Jongdae.” Misneok’s frown seems to be growing by the second, but Jongdae doesn’t know exactly what to do. He reaches a hand out to fix a strand of hair falling into Minseok’s eyes, but Minseok bats him away, fixing it himself.

 

“Well, how can I not like him? He’s so nice and caring and he just looks like he’s stolen the sun from Baekhyun’s hands.”

 

Minseok pauses in his stare-off, rolling back to look up at the stars again, eyes flickering between disinterest and uncertainty. “That’s the first time I’ve heard him described like that. Yeah, that actually works.”

 

“What about you then? Haven’t you two been together since, well, I don’t know? Why are you just blowing him off everyday to hang out with me?” Jongdae bursts out, launching himself up, rocking slightly as he tries not to overlaunch it and roll down the hill. Once he’s sure that the stars don’t seem to be coming at him a bit too quickly, he pounces onto Minseok, making sure that he can’t look away now. Minseok doesn’t resist much, staring at Jongdae with something that seems to border on thinly veiled horror but also amusement.

 

“What did you say?” Minseok’s voice is brittle, and from here, it looks like he’s about to start crying.

 

“I’m sorry for dragging you away from Han everyday.”

 

Minseok turns to the side, hiding his face in his arms as he starts shaking. Oh no, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

 

“Oh fuck. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that you would be this sad, Minseok, I’m so sorry.” Before Jongdae can even lift one arm to do something, anything, Minseok turns back over and starts cackling.

 

“You thought, that, I, I??? Was with him? Lu?” Minseok gasps out in between snorts and giggles, letting out some of the happiest sounds Jongdae thinks have ever been expressed. “Oh no, no no no, I would never, not with Lu.”

 

“Then… Ah.” Jongdae sheepishly removes himself from where he was pressing Minseok into the grass, moving far away so that Minseok won’t be able to laugh at him so readily. It takes a little, but eventually Minseok smothers the last giggles and crawls to rest against Jongdae’s shoulder, brushing away the last few stray tears.

 

“I know we’re close, and I consider him my best friend, but the thought of ever loving him like that is hilarious. Do you know what kind of a person he is?” Minseok exclaims, voice carrying further on with the wind suddenly picking up. “He’s nowhere near perfect. He’s impossible to wake up in the mornings, I honestly don’t know how he managed these past few days, he sometimes spends so long as an animal that he forgets how to shift back, and he has forgotten what form he’s in before. He’s so non-confrontational that’s it’s almost funny, and he always has birds around him to disguise the fact that he needs new robes that aren’t like over-worn and look like they’re some animal’s fur.”

 

“Oh. I thought he was going for that look.” Jongdae says quietly, turning some things over in his head.

 

“Yeah, at this point he is.” Minseok smiles, leaning even further into Jongdae as the wind blows harder, whipping their robes around them. “Honestly, he’s been telling me how you’re so cute and adorable and that he might just try to go after you.”

 

“Really? But I don’t like him like that.” Minseok snorts at that, a hand going to pat Jongdae on the back. “I’m serious!” Jongdae protests, “I think he’s really great and everything, but I just can’t be with him like that because I don’t like him at all.”

 

“Man, Lu’s going to be so hurt when he hears this.” Minseok chuckles, a hand resting on top of Jongdae’s knee. “Well, at least he has so many people to love.”

 

“Well, who do you think he really has a chance with? I can’t really see anyone turning him down.”

 

“You just did.” Minseok reminds him, and Jongdae shoves Minseok for that. “But that’s kinda true. I think he’s focused most on Soo though.”

 

“Kyungsoo? Han’s trying to get Kyungsoo?”

 

“Well, they know each other very well, and Kyungsoo’s soft. They suit each other perfectly.” Jongdae thinks it over. They actually did suit each other quite well, with their complementary styles. Han is gently straightforward to Kyungsoo’s bluntness, and Han seems like the person who would actually wait around for hours, helping Kyungsoo with his gardening and cooking.

 

“That’s true. And I was thinking that he would be better suited to Baekhyun.” Han would be able to easily catch and reflect Baekhyun’s light right back at him, maybe even smooth down some of his best friend’s corners.

 

“We all know that he has to be suited to Chanyeol first.” Minseok notes. “Oh right! I forgot to tell you about it, but Han might actually have a better chance with Yeollie than you think.”

 

“Hmm?” Minseok’s sitting up straight in his excitement, eyes sparkling in ways completely unrelated to the stars, turning to face Jongdae.

 

“So you know that little fawn that Lu’s raising as his daughter? BaoBei?” Jongdae nods, not quite sure where it was going even if Minseok grabs his hands tightly, looking practically gleeful.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“So since Chanyeol’s tall and even worse at telling differences than you are, he’s successfully convinced that BaoBei is actually Lu because he can’t tell the difference between a fawn and a full-grown stag. And BaoBei really likes hanging around Chanyeol, probably because he’s tall, and this is going to be really funny when Yeollie finally figures it out.”

 

“Wait, has Chanyeol never seen them together?” Minseok shakes his head no, almost giddy with laughter. “How?”

 

“I don’t know! But the point is that they haven’t been seen together, so Chanyeol’s in for a rude awakening.” Minseok laughs, throwing his weight around hapzazadously. Jongdae can see exactly what would happen, but he’s powerless to stop it, caught in the way the smile moves, shaking back and forth with the brightness of the stars above. And when Minseok leans a bit too far to the side and drags him down, Jongdae willing goes, grip not loosening even a bit on Minseok’s hands as they roll down the hill, all that he sees being the smile.

 

They sprawl out at the bottom of the hill in a mess of limbs, breathlessly happy. Jongdae looks over at how Minseok’s smile still shines, even though he has an arm thrown over Jongdae and about two legs. Eventually, he reclaims his limbs, and they rearrange themselves to stargaze again, properly this time.

 

“I really wonder how Baekhyun does this.” Jongdae murmurs, watching the stars twinkle at him, one at a time.

 

“Does what?”

 

“These stars. They’re just tiny bits of light, but they’re all so pretty, being able to sparkle one by one.”

 

“Yeah, I think it’s beautiful.” Minseok’s voice is closer somehow, but it wouldn’t have been the first time that he’s moved closer to Jongdae. Jongdae turns to smile at Minseok, but Minseok’s already beaten him to the chase. There’s not much that Minseok can’t get right, is there?

 

“Well, glad to see you haven’t died.” Kyungsoo’s dry voice comes from somewhere above them, and Jongdae nearly startles out of his skin when he looks up, and sees not the stars, but Kyungsoo’s unamused face.

 

“Oh, Soo. Want to join us in star-gazing?” Minseok pats the grass next to him, but Kyungsoo shakes his head, firmly denying the invitation.

 

“Minseok, if you’re going to go out for so long next time, tell me. What if you got hurt? I’m so glad Sehun found you two here.” Kyungsoo scolds, a frown firm on his face.

 

“Well, you found us, so want to star-gaze with us?” Minseok, not to be deterred, offers again.

 

“Stay a bit and star-gaze. The night’s so beautiful.”

 

“No. Sorry Jongdae, but someone actually needs to sleep to rebuild their strength, and he should be long in bed, resting.” Kyungsoo grabs Minseok’s hands, tugging him out of the comfortable groove they were lying in.

 

“Fine. I’m sorry Soo, and I’ll see you in the morning Dae.” Minseok doesn’t have time to wave good-bye before they’re gone, leaving Jongdae in the middle of an empty field, nothing but the wind passing by.

 

Jongdae sighs, sitting up. Well, time to go back to drifting on the clouds. He’ll see Minseok in the morning anyways, so why is he slightly forlorn?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so when I was writing I did not intend for Jongdae to sound a little in love with Luhan, but it's only because I'm a little in love with Luhan. I'm also a little in love with Minseok if you can't tell.


	6. K-I-S-S-I-N-G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aka the nearly 5+1 things chapter of the story if only I was able to keep going and actually make it 5+1.

Hands, velvety soft, and familiarly cold, cover Jongdae’s eyes but not his mouth, but more or less rendering him immobile on the cloud he still floats on. Before Jongdae even has a chance to use the advantage, a weight knocks him onto his stomach and then forces the air out of him, as the person holding his eyes captive then proceeds to jump on him, as if pushing him down wasn’t enough.

 

“Guess who?” Minseok purrs into his ear, and despite having no air to breathe with and no limbs free to use, Jongdae feels a smile curled over his lips.

 

“Did you have to jump onto me? I can’t breathe!” Jongdae wiggles one hand out from under his body to push away Minseok’s hands, but as Minseok has clearly proven time and time again, he is much stronger than Jongdae is.

 

“No peeking until you say my name.” Jongdae puts in some force, rolling over onto Minseok to be able to gain an edge and an arm. He gains the arm, though the edge is nowhere to be seen. Even trying to pry Minseok off with both arms doesn’t work, and the feeling of no cloud under his body comes scarily close to becoming a reality when he kicks out with a leg, and then finds nowhere to replace that leg.

 

“Okay, okay I concede! You win Minseok!” Jongdae pleads for his life when Minseok somehow pins his arms under him again, and is rewarded by Minseok’s gleeful smirk being the first thing his open eyes see.

 

“See, was that so hard?” Minseok coos down at him, cackling when Jongdae aims a weak punch at him as soon as he gets off and Jongdae regains control of his arms.

 

“It was. Did you really have to elbow me that hard?” Jongdae whines, rubbing the dull ache in his side. How Minseok’s elbow managed to go in from that direction will forever be a mystery.

 

“You could’ve just said my name early.” Minseok reminds him, pushing Jongdae gently back onto the cloud again before Jongdae had even fully gotten up. Jongdae waves it off, more interested in figuring out how Minseok found him.

 

“So how did you find me? I’m pretty sure that this cloud wasn’t hovering over Kyungsoo’s house.” Jongdae sits up again, only to be knocked flat by the vibrations of Minseok jump-sitting down. Jongdae spits out a piece of cloud, and decides to just give up before it’s too late.

 

“You know, when I said see you in the morning, I expected to see you at normal time instead of being forced onto this cloud to find you.” Jongdae smiles sheepishly, patting one of Minseok’s folded knees as an apology.

 

“Sorry. I lost track of the time. Want to just lie here and float with me?”

 

Minseok makes a fake annoyed face, crinkling his nose and sticking his tongue out at Jongdae before he leans back, sinking into the light fluff. Jongdae watches in amazement as the cloud reaches up to the middle of Minseok’s ear before he stops dropping, alleviating Jongdae’s fears about Minseok just falling like a stone, through the cloud and to very much less pleasant places.

 

“You’ve sunk!” Jongdae sits up, poking at the cloud by Minseok’s ear. It puffs up just like how Jongin does when he’s being embarrassed, before Jongdae pokes through and asserts that it’s just cloud and not Jongin’s nose that he’s poking through. “I didn’t know you could do that!”

 

Minseok just gives him a smirk before the cloud lowers him again, until he’s just about at level with the actual top of the cloud. If Jongdae pushed some cloud over Minseok then he probably would probably just be completely hidden.

 

A bit of cloud floats over to Jongdae, as if daring him to try his idea out. Minseok’s eyes follow Jongdae’s hands as he slowly tugs the cloud over, temptation written all over his face.

 

“Dae.” The sound rolls off his tongue lazily, and Jongdae scoots over, not loosening his grip on the cloud.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Lean down for me please? I want to tell you something.” Jongdae leans down automatically, tilting his ear closer to Minseok on instinct. The cloud slips out of Jongdae’s fingers, floating away with the wind, and Jongdae can feel Minseok’s breath on his face as he laughs.

 

“Hey! I was going to use that cloud!”

 

“I know, I know, you just look so betrayed.” Minseok chortles even harder, especially when Jongdae turn his head up and rolled to the side. He looks betrayed? Well, now after he’s really been betrayed, Jongdae should look so much more betrayed.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Jongdae feels arms slowly wrapping around his shoulders, an apology coming out amidst giggles.

 

“Can I-”

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 

Baekhyun bumps against Jongdae’s leg and knocks a piece of cloud off as he continues falling, screaming like he doesn’t know how to fly.

 

“USE YOUR BRAIN CELLS AND FLY! IDIOT!” Jongdae hollars, leaning over the edge of the cloud to deliver the inspiring message.

 

“We’re going to have to rescue him, aren’t we?” Minseok asks, already fading before Jongdae has to answer. If Baekhyun doesn’t come out of this one with some common sense, Jongdae’s going to hit some into him.

 

~~~

 

“Where are you going?” Sehun and Jongin speed-jog towards Minseok and Jongdae, leaving Baekhyun hopefully far behind him. Unfortunately, it did not leave Baekhyun anywhere far, and he just skips after them, practically stepping on Jongin’s feet every other turn.

 

“Minseok! Help us! Baekhyun’s being really annoying!” Jongin sprints straight into Minseok’s arms, and Minseok lifts an eyebrow over Jongin’s shoulder at Baekhyun, who shrugs, smiling a bit too much for someone completely innocent.

 

Unfortunately, Baekhyun did not come out of the fall with some common sense, but there might be a chance that he actually lost some from the way he hurls himself almost suicidally at Minseok and Jongin, who repositions them so Minseok’s closer to Baekhyun. Seeing that he lost his chance with that one, Baekhyun turns his attention towards Sehun and Jongdae, just a bit over.

 

While Sehun certainly acts like he has too much pride to run straight into Jongdae’s arms crying for help, he certainly follows Jongin in how he pokes his head out from behind Minseok, arms wrapped tightly around his waist like Baekhyun would steal him away otherwise. Sehun isn’t hugging Jongdae for dear life, but when Baekhyn walks forwards with a maniacal grin, he neatly steps behind Jongdae and holds him in front as the shield, bracing his hands on Jongdae’s shoulders to keep him from getting away.

 

“Baekhyun, what are you doing and why are the two of them running away?” Jongdae questions the ever-approaching Baekhyun, feeling sparks jump from between his hands up in case. He still has to hit some sense into Baekhyun, and Jongdae is nothing but good at keeping promises.

 

“Why does everyone always think that it’s my fault?” Baekhyun asks, still looking like he’s about to pull out a jumpscare from behind his back, maybe a tiger.

 

“How could we ever guess?” Minseok asks in the driest tone, eyeing Baekhyun like a time-sensitive weapon.

 

Baekhyun finally loses the smile and pouts, finally getting the hint. “Fine, I’ll leave. But you two can’t hide forever.”

 

And with a sparkling of light draping him in, Baekhyun disappears. Jongdae lets out a breathe he didn’t know he was holding as Sehun loosens up, no longer holding Jongdae at arm’s length. Meanwhile, Minseok was trying his best to coax Jongin off of him, the cloud god looking around like he was convinced that Baekhyun would be back any second to grab him and run off.

 

“Jongin, you can let go of me, I promise that he’s not actually around.”

 

“That’s what Sehun said about the leech before throwing it at me.” Minseok turns his judgemental eyes onto Sehun instead, who just shrugs.

 

“It wasn’t going to kill him.”

 

“I don’t want my blood stolen!” Jongin lets go of Minseok to walk up towards Sehun, glaring like he is almost crazy enough to find a leech and throw it at Sehun. Now that the Baekhyun danger was over, Jongdae squats down, resuming their activity from before.

 

“So what are you two doing that Baekhyun was chasing you?” Minseok asks, also turning his attention back towards the strawberries the duo had so nicely nearly trampled. Jongdae straightens up and offers one each to Sehun and Jongin.

 

“Thanks Jongdae,” Sehun says, before taking a small bite out of the strawberry directed towards him. Jongin doesn’t say thanks, but he chomps down the whole strawberry in one bite before hugging Jongdae in thanks.

 

“You know that just because your mouths are filled doesn’t mean you can get out of answering the question?” Minseok threatens sweetly, feeding Jongdae a strawberry in return for the boys.

 

Sehun and Jongin, with their connected minds, suddenly and very robotically start moving in unison. Jongin’s frozen with a hand on Sehun’s shoulder and Sehun has a kind of awkward smile that doesn’t seem to belong on his face. Jongin’s no longer chewing his strawberry.

 

With all four eyes focused on Minseok, they both take two shuffling steps to the right, away from Minseok and Jongdae. The light shines in Jongdae’s eyes in such a way that they nearly vanish before he sees them again, but then they’re both quickly shuffling back towards them, getting away from the threat of Baekhyun.

 

Sehun makes them stop in front of Jongdae, smile becoming a grimace as he bites off the rest of his strawberry. And without another word, nor an explanation for what exactly was going on, they just both start sinking, their very bodies being pulled in by the soil, until the only thing left of where they were are the displacement of some grass.

 

“Well, wonder when they’ll visit again.” Minseok snarks, smirking at Jongdae when he tries to give him the disapproving look that wasn’t quite true.

 

“Do you want to stay around here? There’s a huge possibility that they might just pop up any moment, like some unwanted rabbits.” Jongdae asks, scanning the ground for any signs of unusual soil movement.

 

Minseok snorts, plucking two more strawberries from the plants at their feet. He places one against Jongdae’s lips, waiting for him to bite down before removing his hand.

 

“Well, these are the most delicious strawberries of the year, aren’t they?” Minseok takes a bite of his own strawberry, watching as Jongdae scrutinises the remaining strawberries, trying to find the sweetest from appearance. Unfortunately, all the strawberries are the brightest red, the right bit of plump, finger-licking delightfully sweet.

 

“This one is. I’m positive that you won’t be able to find another one as sweet as this one you’re about to eat.” Jongdae plucks the largest strawberry he sees, and holds it up for Minseok’s approval. It’s misshapen, looking like a combination of three different strawberries all merged together, but it’s bright seducing red, and smells sweet, almost like how a flower does.

 

Minseok takes it, and carefully bites into what would’ve been the bottom of the smallest strawberry merged on the right. Jongdae watches eagerly as Minseok chew, considers, and then his eyes light up. He’s done it!

 

“Yeah, it’s really sweet.”

 

“It’s the sweetest, I knew it!”

 

“Well, I wouldn’t say that it’s the sweetest.” Minseok watches as Jongdae’s face practically falls with confusion, jumping from being terribly happy to terribly confused. Still, he obediently opens his mouth for a bit of the strawberry, taking out most of what would’ve been the largest strawberry in the bundle. Sugar runs down Jongdae’s throat as he chews, and he wonders how Minseok could possibly ever think that that strawberry isn’t the sweetest.

 

Minseok watches Jongdae’s shift in expression with a bafflingly sweet smile. “Can I have a taste of-”

 

Sehun burst through the soil, and Jongdae does not scream. He yelled. Quickly.

 

There’s a little thing in the back of his head that says this is too close to when Baekhyun fell from the sky, though Sehun’s not screaming for the apocalypse. Then Jongin pops up, thankfully a lot slower, and with a sheepish smile instead of the dead look in Sehun’s eyes.

 

“Come on, let’s get you two to Kyungsoo’s and fed, you don’t think straight when you’re hungry.” Minseok grabs Sehun and Jongin by their hands, leading them away to someone who would actually take care of them, and Jongdae’s brain catches up to him, asking what exactly Minseok was wanting a taste of.

 

~~~

 

“Okay, so how are your flowers holding?” Jongdae’s trying flower crowns with Minseok again, now that he knows Baekhyun has been waylaid by Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, hopefully for long enough that Minseok gets to at least wear a crown. It took Jongdae a stupidly long amount of time to find another meadow that had the same flowers growing and in bloom, since Kyungsoo and Yixing would get very mad if he completely wiped out the plant in an area.

 

“They’re holding great!” Minseok holds up his half-completed flower crown, somehow braided neater and more intricately than Jongdae’s will ever be. Minseok managed not only to pick up the art of flower crowns extremely quickly, but also quickly spotted areas of improvement, pulling a stem in here and looping it through there so it holds together better than before. Jongdae isn’t 100 percent sure why he’s still trying, since Minseok’s already looks neater and more crownlike, but Minseok seems to be delighted that they’re doing it together, so they’ll do it together.

 

“Great!” Jongdae frowns at his own barely misshapen heap of flowers. If he lets go of his pinky and fourth finger then the whole thing might just fall apart. “I think I mis-looped here.”

 

“Let me see?” Jongdae hands over his crown, taking care not to let go of the wrong parts before Minseok can get a hold on them. Minseok hmms and then suddenly he doesn’t need to keep ahold of the last two flowers in the crown.

 

“Wow. If people didn’t know, they would probably think that you’re teaching me this.” Jongdae jokes, taking his flowers back.

 

“Well, at this point it seems that I might as well be.” Minseok only chuckles harder at Jongdae’s fake wounded expression.

 

After a little bit of time when they’re only serenaded by the birds and the wind, Jongdae finally holds up his completed crown, the best one so far. “I’m done!”

 

Minseok’s fingers twist a little faster, and then Minseok holds up his crown as well. “I’m done too.”

 

Jongdae feels his pride wilt just by looking at Minseok’s crown, because it’s so pretty and you can just tell that the petals haven’t been awkwardly bent and quickly smoothed out. His crown suddenly looks shabby in comparison, and the determined side of Jongdae tells him to put it down and not leave until he knows how to make a crown half as nicely as Minseok does. But his rational side wins out and tells him that then he’ll be sitting here until he dies, and Jongdae puts the crown on his head instead.

 

“Well, put on your crown! I want to see how you look.” Instead of responding, Minseok grabs Jongdae’s crown off his head and puts it on his own, handing Jongdae his pretty one.

 

“You had my crown, so now it’s your turn to put it on.” Minseok holds his own masterpiece out for Jongdae to take, an expectant look on his face.

 

“What? No, we were making our crowns for ourselves.” Jongdae reaches for his crown but Minseok leans out of the way before he could get it.

 

“Well I thought that we were making them for each other so you need to put it on now.” Minseok holds the crown further out for Jongdae, while leaning all the more outrageously back to block contact to his head.

 

“But mine doesn’t look as good, you should wear your own.” Jongdae climbs onto Minseok, ignoring the crown being quite literally shoved into his face in an attempt to get his own off Minseok’s head. He’s never seen someone nearly bend backwards like that with the crown still on perfectly.

 

“But I think I look great. Are you calling me ugly?” Minseok grins, because despite being shorter than Jongdae and most likely having shorter arms, Jongdae still can't reach the crown.

 

“Yes. The worst.” Jongdae huffs, sitting back on his heels instead of leaning forwards, already knowing that he’s lost this battle.

 

Minseok laughs and places the crown on Jongdae’s head.

 

Jongdae was lying before. Minseok looks stunning. Unlike the maya and olympic blue variants of the flowers they used for their last crowns, the flowers today are ice pink, big ones that could cover an eye and has petals with too many creases, like the train of a lady’s dress. They’re vividly vibrant, not even losing its shine after being mistreated so at Jongdae’s hands, and shimmer against Minseok’s hair. He’s wearing his pale blue robes today, looking like a mirage with the way the wind ripples his clothes, like a wave in the middle of a desert. His eyes seem the solidest in colour they’ve ever been, taking on a pink tint with the flowers.

 

They’re slightly crooked on his head, the type of crooked that isn’t noticeable to be cool, barely away from being straight if not for the slight tilt upwards. Jongdae adjusts the crown for Minseok, fixing it so that it is purposefully crooked, beautiful offset to the otherwise perfection.

 

“Well, you look great with the crown.” Minseok says, flicking the side of the crown on Jongdae’s head so that he can feel it shift slightly into the off-centred way Jongdae just fixed for Minseok.

 

“That’s rude.” Jongdae complains, reaching up to steady it on his own head. Minseok doesn’t even give him a second before he knocks it off-kilter again, and Jongdae groans, holding it in place on his head so Minseok can’t disturb it for him. So instead of bothering Jongdae’s senses and fashion ability, Minseok goes straight for the vital organs, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s torso and slotting his head into a nook by Jongdae’s neck.

 

“Why is your heart beating so hard? It’s like you’re scared of me.” Minseok says, dulcet and lulling, listening to the blood move through Jongdae’s body.

 

“Warn me before you do that! I’m surprised, that’s all.” Jongdae claims, looking down the leaf’s length between his nose and Minseok’s. If anyone asks, it’s the fear talking, but Jongdae wonders if he’ll ever be able to spend enough time to figure out what colour Minseok’s eyes really are.

 

“Dae?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You look really good right now.”

 

“Thank you. What’s the catch?”

 

Minseok grins, leaning forwards as his smile becomes something more smirk-like, beckoning Jongdae forth. There’s no longer the need to hold onto the crown when Minseok’s literally close enough for Jongdae to shift his crown over to Minseok’s head without lifting it up.

 

“Can I taste i-“

 

“Jongdae? Minseok?” Jongdae turns around at the voice, and there’s Yixing strolling forth, a hand up in greeting.

 

“Oh, Yixing!” Jongdae feels a smile start to stretch across his face too, and he twists even more back to be able to wave back at Yixing properly. Instead of holding him up properly so he doesn't fall over, one of the hands on his waist squirms, just looking for a rise out of him. “Minseok!”

 

Minseok beams innocently as he stills his hands, pretending that he didn’t do a thing at all, but before Jongdae can get his revenge, Yixing arrives, pausing by their side.

 

“Hi. What are you two doing?” Yixing looks down at the two of them, his calm smile on his face. Jongdae thinks that if not for Baekhyun, he would actually like Yixing the most, calm, gentle Yixing who is aligned closest to himself.

 

“Making flower crowns. Do you want to join?” Jongdae invites, pointing out the flowers everywhere. “Minseok’s actually pretty good at it, he can teach you if you don’t know.”

 

“I wish I could,” Yixing looks genuinely sorry that he cannot join this trivial gathering, “but Baekhyun told me to show up somewhere when the moon hits the highest part in the sky, and if I don't keep walking then I might not show up in time.”

 

“What is Baekhyun doing now?” Minseok’s resigned, yet curiously amused.

 

“I don’t know. Want to come with me so we can figure it out together?” Yixing offers. A breeze passes as Jongdae looks at Minseok for a decision and Minseok looks at Jongdae for a decision.

 

“I’ll just keep walking. If you decide not to go, just call me and I’ll hear it before I’m completely out of range.” Yixing starts walking again, and Jongdae looks at Minseok, waiting.

 

“Why are you looking at me?” Minseok smiles, ready to pull something on Jongdae. “You’re the one planning this all, how am I supposed to tell you to go?”

 

“Ah.” Jongdae pulls himself together and gets up, holding a hand out to tug Minseok up. He is not embarrassed, but apparently from the way Minseok laughs at him, he’s not hiding the blush very well.

 

“We’re coming Xing! Don’t walk too fast!” Minseok calls, and Yixing slows down, waiting for them to catch up. Minseok gives Jongdae a quick smile before he grabs his hand, and together, they run to catch up.

 

~~~

 

“So, what exactly are we supposed to be doing here?” Minseok asks as they approach the weeping willow tree, Jongdae being the gentleman and brushing aside the leaves to allow Minseok to enter first.

 

“I just wanted to sit in a tree, is that okay?” Jongdae asks, stepping behind Minseok into the shelter of the tree, the leaves completely enclosing them in a little bubble, very free of interruptions.

 

“Of course. But why a weeping willow?” Minseok lends Jongdae a hand, giving him a handhold to sling his leg over the bottom-most branch, and slowly pull himself up.

 

“Well, the branches are pretty low so it’s easy to climb. I’m not good at climbing trees.” Jongdae admits, easily getting to the largest branch still under the canopy of the tree. He looks down, and Minseok’s already sitting on the branch right underneath him, remarkably faster than Jongdae at this, consider he had help and a head start. “How are you so good?”

 

“Me? I’m not really good, I’m not really bad either.”

 

“So you’re just calling me really bad.” Jongdae pouts, offended and hurt.

 

“I never said that. Now, can you please move over? I want to sit next to you.” Jongdae scoots over, and Minseok very quickly situates himself against the trunk of the tree.

 

“Wait, let me sit by the trunk Minseok, I’m a lot less steady than you are.” Minseok makes a face, unhappy with the thought of having to get back up.

 

“I already have the trunk, besides, then that means I’ll have to be able to get further out on the branch than you, which is why you shouldn’t have climbed the tree first.”

 

“Me???” Jongdae sputters with indignation. “You told me to go first in case I fall!”

 

“Well, you should’ve thought about our seating arrangement before making those sorts of decisions.” Minseok grumbles, but shifts slightly, ready to quickly land on the next branch underneath if necessary. “Scoot over. I can just sit down here and you can have the trunk.”

 

“I wanted to sit on the same branch as you, Minseok.” Jongdae complains, shifting over slightly, and then nearly falling completely off the branch. Minseok, the forever kind person he is, grabs Jongdae’s arm and essentially slides Jongdae down the branch for him, pulling Jongdae to his chest. Seeing how Jongdae had basically grabbed two handfuls of whatever to try and not fall, opens his eyes to find that the handfuls are actually of Minseok’s robes, and gently has to release them, while Minseok still holds him steady.

 

“Are you okay?” Minseok asks, and Jongdae nods, heart racing not because of how close they are, but because of the scare.

 

“I’m a bit shaken, but I’ll live, right?”

 

“How about you just sit here, against me? That way I can catch you if you do fall, and you’re technically still against the trunk.” Minseok suggests, hand still on Jongdae’s sleeve.

 

Jongdae nods, and Minseok removes his hand from Jongdae’s sleeve to wrap instead around Jongdae’s waist, pulling him close. Jongdae doesn’t mind too much, but the unsteady heartbeat is still because of the fall scare, not Minseok.

 

“So, do you know the story behind the weeping willow?” Jongdae asks, breathing in the slight scent of cold Minseok has lingering around him. It’s a bit weird, but then again, mint tastes like cold, and mint is delicious.

 

“Why are you asking me that?” Minseok asks, amusement clear in his voice.

 

“Conversational topic, obviously.” Jongdae turns his head to scowl at Minseok, and has to tell himself not to move away, especially with the fact that Minseok is right there.

 

“Well, I do not actually know the story, so if you would like to enlighten me, I would love to hear it.”

 

Jongdae shifts, watching the leaves sway slightly in the wind. “Well, there were once two lovers, a daughter of a rich merchant and a son of a peasant. They fell in love, and when her parents found out, they were greatly angered.

 

“So they locked her up at home, but she cried so much that she watered the sprout of a tree that had just started growing in their yard. The tree, filled with the girl’s longing, grew huge and tall until the leaves managed to extend out of the yard, hanging down.

 

“Seeing the tree as a way to escape, the girl climbed the tree and made her way to her lover’s house, but his family said that her family had him killed, holding him underwater in the pond where they used to meet until he drowned, in a deep section so they could not retrieve his body. So she made her way to the pond where her beloved died, but before she could do anything, her family came and took her back to their home.

 

“However, since she had no will to live, she didn’t eat or drink, and eventually she wasted away, crying for her lover at the bottom of the pond. Her family, saddened, decided to bury her body by the pond as it was a very beautiful pond, and they thought she had liked it while alive. But there was a seed in the grave, and a tree grew from her bones.

 

“The tree that grew took on her desperation and sadness, bending over and growing more and more towards the pond, until one day, the branches managed to reach under the water to her lover’s bones, finally meeting again with her lover in death.”

 

For a few heartbeats, there’s nothing but the sound of insects calling, all silent as Minseok digests the story. “Well, that’s morbid.”

 

“It’s romantic!” Jongdae protests.

 

“They both died.” Minseok deadpans.

 

“But the weeping willow is a sign of the girl’s devotion. She loved him so much that her bones were able to sprout a tree that tried to reach for him. It’s touching.” Some of the leaves brush against the water, and Jongdae wonders if their tree also had such a story.

 

“It was also quite one-sided. What did he ever do besides get killed for her? This sounds like desperation.”

 

“The original telling was a lot better, I’m just paraphrasing.” Jongdae gives in, seeing there wasn’t much that he could do to change Minseok’s mind.

 

“Well, at least that assures me about what the lowest limit for a love story is.”

 

“And why do you want to know?”

 

“Just hoping that our story doesn’t get that sad.”

 

“Our?” Maybe Jongdae didn’t hear right, did Minseok really say our?

 

“Well, if you would have me.” Jongdae shifts to look Minseok in the eye, and there’s not even a hint of a joke, only Minseok and his truth.

 

“Are you confessing to me without even confessing to me?” Jongdae laughs through the words, a bit shocked, a bit confused, and completely in love.

 

“Maybe? If you want it properly, then I do like you, and I think that you’re the most gorgeous person on this earth.” Minseok also has a nervous smile playing on his lips, and the hand around Jongdae’s waist automatically starts to trace patterns against Jongdae’s robes, one of Minseok’s favourite nervous tics.

 

“May I kiss you?”

 

“I understand if you don’t, but-wait what?”

 

“Can I kiss you?” Jongdae laughs, some tears in his eyes, perhaps because of the incredulous look on Minseok’s face.

 

“You like me too? I mean, I know I don’t look that bad, but like you’re so nice and kind and-” Before Minseok can ramble on further, Jongdae cups his face in his hands, and kisses him nice and slow. Minseok pulls Jongdae in closer with both hands, and Jongdae tasted the sweetness of the berries they had picked on their way here, the honey in the tea Kyungsoo had served earlier, and a surprising amount of mint.

 

Jongdae pulls away first, unsure about if Minseok really liked it or not, seeing as he didn’t actually answer the question.

 

“Jongdae.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“That was supposed to be my line. I have spent days trying to build up to the line, and I was interrupted every time. But you, you just sit down and tell a morbid story and interrupt my confession to use my line against me!” Jongdae stares a little, having never seen Minseok so mad, and at such an insignificant thing. It’s kinda hot. But for now, he bursts into laughter, causing Minseok to pout, and trap Jongdae against himself.

 

“Why are you laughing at me?” Minseok asks, still pouting.

 

“No, it’s just…” Jongdae gasps for air, not quite sure what was funny, nor how to really put it into words. Eventually, he settles for “I like you too.”

 

“Well, can I kiss you?” Minseok asks, properly using his line this time.

 

“Gladly.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unless I started hallucinating/creating memories, the willow tree creation story is actually a story told to me by my grandparents, read out of this enormous book of like myths/fairy tales that they bought for me from China. It was told in the format of like pictures/captions so it would be a picture, caption, picture, caption, and since it was huge, there would be 6 pictures on each page, 12 if counting them back and front. It's also only in Chinese so I can't actually dig it up and reread it to confirm, but yeah.


	7. Control (while in love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae actually creates a storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love when real life is (kinda) kind to me and good stuff just happens. Also the official song of this chapter is Rainfall by Chen, thank you for dropping it before this chapter bby
> 
>  
> 
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbJ8i5nuBYk>

“Please? You told me before that you would start one for me.” Minseok pouts, wrapping his arms around Jongdae for an unfair advantage in getting him to do exactly what Minseok wants. This treatment is sickening. There’s nothing Jongdae can do anymore without Minseok influencing him to do something else. Maybe it was better when they first met and Minseok wasn’t comfortable enough to just play Jongdae like this.

 

“Junmyeon told me that I’m not allowed to start storms anymore. He’s going to get really mad if I do.” Jongdae protests, sitting firm in the middle of one of Jongin’s clouds, the duo flying around somewhere nearby.

 

“Well, you were so eager to start a storm inside of Kyungsoo’s house, weren’t you?” Jongdae frowns, shaking his head to demonstrate that he had exactly zero idea, indication, nor inkling of that moment.

 

“That was different. It was indoors so I couldn’t really expand it limitlessly. Besides, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were both there to stop me from going too far.”

 

“And you’re saying that I can’t stop you?” Jongdae pauses, looking over at Minseok for the first time since this conversation started. Why did he have to bring him onto a cloud and bring up the idea of Jongdae starting a storm?

 

Looking into Minseok’s face is apparently a bigger mistake than Jongdae could’ve ever imagined, because Minseok, the emotional manipulator, has a frown and a genuinely displeased look on his face. As soon as Minseok notices the pair of eyes on him, he somehow makes himself look even more saddened, and Jongdae could feel his resolve falling to pieces by the second.

 

“I could ground you to make sure that you don’t go too far. Besides, it’s been too long since the last storm, you need to start another one, and if this one’s a bit larger than usual, no one will really mind.” The fact that Minseok is already starting to look more positive probably means that he could already see through Jongdae and his nonexistent will in regards to Minseok. “I want to see you unleash your power. You’ve seen me do it before.”

 

“We weren’t even together and it was inside a tiny and dark cave.”

 

“Yeah yeah. Are you going to do it, or are we just going to keep drifting away on this cloud?” Jongdae sighs and falls back onto the cloud, resting his head on the soft embodiment of nothingness. Minseok has too much control over him.

 

“I’ll do it, if you’re grounding me.” Minseok cheers a little, sharing a little sweetness with kisses, and Jongdae feels more at ease.

 

The cloud slowly drifts down onto land, dissolving bit by bit until it was nearly completely gone. Jongdae opens his eyes to see a familiar field of grass all around him, and sits up to see the first place he ever met Minseok in. He looks across the brightly lit field for the catch of Minseok’s bright white robes, but there’s not a trace of it.

 

“What are you looking for?” Minseok’s voice murmurs next to his ear, and Jongdae nearly jumps in shock even as he remembers suddenly that Minseok had never actually left his side on the cloud.

 

“You.” Minseok opens his arms for a hug, sensing the need for one immediately. “We met here, remember?”

 

“Yeah, it was during a storm. You were in control of it.”

 

“I didn’t start it. Junmyeon did.”

 

“But I still felt your power pouring over everything, and that’s why I looked up to the sky.” Wait, what? Jongdae pulls away from the hug to look into Minseok’s face, discovering a new bit of information.

 

“You did?”

 

“Yeah. There was something different in the air, and I stopped to figure out what it was. I didn’t expect you to be so close though.” Jongdae smiles, watching Minseok recall the memory, playing gently with his hands.

 

“Well, I’m here now.”

 

“Does here now start the storm?” Minseok smiles at the deadpan look shot in his direction, refusing to let go of Jongdae’s fingers even as he tries to cut all tabs immediately.

 

“Starting a storm isn’t that easy. You have to factor in a lot of things, like the clouds and the sun and the actual rain.” The sky is completely blank, blue enough to slip a toe in and fall if not too careful. Jongin and Sehun had probably long moved the winds and clouds away, leaving no promises nor possibilities for rain at all, and Baekhyun’s laughter could be heard if one listens hard enough.

 

“So you need to arrange things with Baekhyun, Sehun, Jongin, and Junmyeon first? Should I also ask the nearby mortal fisherman to move his boats a little to the right in preparation for the storm as well?” Minseok interrupts, pushing Jongdae more freely now that the deal was created and agreed upon.

 

“I could do it all on my own, but Junmyeon insists that everyone has to work to make a storm so I don’t make it too big.” Jongdae beckons a few clouds over, thicker ones that block out the sun, and speeds up the wind to gather some more together. “What am I doing? Junmyeon is going to hate me so much after this.”

 

“As if Junmyeon dislikes you enough to hate you. Besides, you’re acting like Junmyeon not wanting you to do something has stopped you before.” That was true. After all, Baekhyun’s life seems to be dedicated to finding ways to do things without Junmyeon’s approval. Jongdae can do one storm.

 

“Fine. Can you take my hand?” Jongdae asks, starting to feel the same break in the air, as the skies start darkening and the wind bats at his hair.

 

Minseok smiles, giving him a kiss on the cheek before taking his hand. “I have you. I’ll pull you back if I think it’s starting to go too far.”

 

Jongdae closes his eyes, feeling the thrumming under his skin pick up as his body remembers exactly how it’s like to pull together a storm, how it’s like to gather so much energy by doing what isn’t the work that’s entirely of his own, the thunder echoing in his ears and the lightning flashing before his eyes. He draws and draws and squeezes every single bit of energy from where he can find it, the clouds that rush over or the winds that herd them, the water drawing together and the sparkling of his lighting, his thunder booming in the distance, letting out a small warning.

 

The air changes when he does, and he’s no longer Jongdae, expect for the cold hand clinging onto his own. Jongdae pulls it all back one last bit to make sure, and then he lets it go.

 

The heavens open like they haven't poured before, the result of too many days gone without rain, all stocked up for him to take, take, take. In seconds Jongdae’s soaked, completely drenched in the symbol of his power, except for the palm of his hand, completely dry.

 

How much more can he go? The last time he was allowed, no, who says he has to be _allowed_? He isn’t one of the 9. He’s a spirit, a lowly bit of thing that should’ve never been allowed to see the light, yet they let him grow, they let him grow and they let him branish his power like how he wishes! Then as soon as he shows exactly what he’s capable of, they want to restrain him and not let him do anything? He’s the strongest of them all, he can flood the land, he can reshape the world, he can ruin everything, and no one will be able to stop him.

 

“Dae. Pull back a little, my love.” Jongdae sinks back into himself immediately, the whisper of Minseok’s words into his ears working better than anyone else had ever tried, bringing himself back into the god he is. Damn, so this is the taste of what power could do to him, what had been done to him. Jongdae understands why Junmyeon doesn’t let him start storms anymore, if this is the one starting them.

 

“Dae? Pull back.” Minseok’s grip on his hand tighten and Jongdae opens his eyes, looking straight into Minseok’s more worried ones. Nothing’s ever been so vivid around him without floating a little, being more of a them instead of him. Jongdae stabilizes the storm so it’s not going to drown anyone and Minseok smiles, loosening his hand to gently take Jongdae’s other. Oh. Minseok was actively drawing power out of him, but in such a way that Jongdae didn’t even notice it until it was gone.

 

“Thank you.” Minseok interlocks their fingers together, and it’s that little bit of motion that makes Jongdae feel a little more alive.

 

“I told you I wouldn’t let you go too far.” Minseok smiles, and Jongdae feels the last of his fears evaporate. The storm might not be completely wild, but it’s completely his now. Minseok smiles wider and wider, trying to be as silly as possible to draw a smile out of Jongdae. Jongdae feels his lips unconsciously start to curve up, entire being at peace.

 

“I love you.” Jongdae watches as Minseok’s smile starts off uncertain, but then slowly grows bigger and bigger as he registers the actual words. “And I think I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you in the rain, standing there and looking up as if you couldn’t believe that it was rain.”

 

“I love you too.” Minseok replies, his beam shining brighter than anything Baekhyun could ever conjure up, a patch of sunshine in the middle of this storm. “And while I haven’t loved you for as long, I think I’ve loved you since the moment you stared at me in Kyungsoo’s house, and then tried to start a storm for me even though we had barely officially met.”

 

Jongdae wipes a tear out of his eye, and Minseok mimics him, wiping at his eye a lot more aggressively, though he does actually brush out a tear. The storm purrs under his command. Jongdae laughs with Minseok until they cry, and then they lie together under a tree, watching Jongdae practice his aim with the thunderbolts. When Minseok suggests that he aims for the little fence, purely to be able to laugh when Jongdae inevitably doesn’t, Jongdae thinks that he’s found the right person to fall in love with, his man in white.

 


	8. The first

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aka the epilogue aka the first chapter I wrote for this thing despite me wanting it in Jongdae's perspective.

Minseok opens his eyes during the middle of summer. He’s not supposed to be here, he’s not even supposed to be awake, but here he is.

His first thought is wondering why he’s awake, after all, these seasonal balances are for a reason, and this is clearly not at all the gentle beckoning of autumn, inviting him to wake and slowly rouse his powers, taking over main control from the combined efforts of Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and Sehun, the three working together to cool down and slow down the earth, burning off the heat of Summer for the entrance of his ice. His second thought is less pleasant.

Over the years, Minseok had developed an instinct, a sixth sense of a sort, something necessary for him to be able to counteract and control the brightness of Baekhyun’s light, or Chanyeol’s heat, or even Yixing’s warmth in cases when he would wake too early and, for lack of a better word, start disturbing Minseok’s carefully crafted world.

So that’s why, as unfortunate as it is, Minseok’s second thought is an urgent warning, a terrible calling inkling curling up in his mind that says someone, (probably Baekhyun,) is fucking up.

It’s also so hot. There’s a heat in the air that is just terrible, seeming to cling to his robes and hair and skin and almost pressing down on him in a way that is choking, begging, demanding, and forceful. Minseok hasn’t ever felt heat quite like this, this heat that’s just on the cusp of breaking, waiting for something to push it over. It’s not like the engulfing, all consuming heat of Chanyeol, the bright, heat-less placebo of Baekhyun, or the gentle prodding and encircling heat of Yixing.

The sky is dark, like the way Baekhyun pulls it before gathering together into the night, but it’s different right now. It’s more reminiscent of the way he draws back for Junmyeon to step in and unleash a gentle shower that sometimes Minseok then freezes, not cold enough for him to be alone, but not warm enough for Junmyeon to fully work. But this time, it’s still so bright, like Baekhyun’s worked up, barely able to take three steps back for Junmyeon to unleash some power, raring to jump back in with too much energy pent up.

Minseok sits up, and his robes don’t rustle like they usually would, sticking a bit too closely to his skin for his liking. His bed is too confining in this heat, and Minseok longs to let out some of his power, throw off the balance of the seasons for just a little relief.

But at the same time, he doesn’t mind it as much as he would say. The unending heat, the desperate way the clouds hang, the eagerness of the sun, it’s all so different from the nice ways Minseok likes arranging the things he controls.

Minseok blinks once and the sky bursts open, shuddering with intensity, dumping buckets out of the sky. He’s never seen Junmyeon this fiercely pouring out his strength and energy yet, but there’s something in the air not purely Junmyeon, but sparkling, awaiting the cue to start.

But then there’s a flash and even though Minseok can feel that it’s not Baekhyun at all, the nudging grows harder, and he needs to find Baekhyun now before something goes wrong.

The rain’s still battering down on the earth, but Minseok convinces himself that it’ll be okay, he’s one of the 9, life-drowning rain won’t even affect him. He holds his breath and steps outside of the little shelter that houses his body during the seasons he rests, and within seconds, he’s drenched.

His hair plasters to his scalp, and his robes no longer flow, finally succumbing to the insistent call of gravity that Minseok had spent so long help resist.

But at least here the insistence is muffled, dampened and suppressed just like his robes. It would be so easy to just throw off the control of this nature, almost as simple as it would be freeze and shatter off the water sticking to his skin, pull himself out of the control of this time like he usually does.

But Minseok doesn’t do that, because the same thing muffling the need to find Baekhyun is drawing to something inside of him, telling him to stop resisting. So Minseok doesn’t brush the rain off his clothes, gather frost to cool himself down, or run around frantically to keep Baekhyun from destroying the balance of the earth. Instead, Minseok stops in place, takes a deep breath, and turns his face up to the warm rain, feeling the lukewarm drops wash over and engulf him.

Minseok’s completely out of his depth, thrown into the middle of the deep deep ocean that has no jurisdiction besides its own will, and while he can move, it’s so startling fragile that one too many actions could break the hardest exterior he’s ever seen. He drinks in the tears of the sky, and unleashes just the smallest tendril of power, just enough for little snowflakes to barely solidify and then pour onto the ground with the rest of its comrades.

Minseok’s completely out of his depth, and he can’t help but relinquish control and let himself drift.

Minseok’s completely out of his depth, yet he loves it.

 


End file.
